Persistence
by NeonHorizon
Summary: A girl with a ridiculous backstory appears in City Z with an even more ridiculous quest; to find her little sister. When she meets a certain hero, many distractions suddenly appear. How can she hope to find her sister when there are so many distractions at every turn? I know there are inconsistencies, but I wrote this just for fun. There will be smut, by the way ;)
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: I know there are inconsistencies and possible OOC-ness, but please just forgive those and enjoy the story. I wrote this for fun.**

"Tell me. What's the point of life? Can you tell me that?" She stared back at the person before her, head tilted slightly and her green eyes half-closed. "You can't. Can you? You don't know. No one really knows. Isn't that just how it is? You ask someone what the meaning of life is and they never seem to know."

Behind the counter, the waitress shifted uncomfortably. "You want more coffee, darling? You're asking some pretty heavy questions for a girl your age."

Her feline ears drooped back a little, her tail swishing silently behind her. "Sure."

"So what'd you say your name was?"

"Hn. Call me Noriko, please."

"What brings you to City Z, Noriko? Is it hero business? You are a _hero_ , aren't you?" The waitress gave her a look of uncertainty, staring at her cat ears, tail, and the twin swords strapped to her back.

"You could say that." Noriko stretched her arms over her head, yawning. "I heard that there were monsters here. A monster problem, I guess? I want to help people so…" The waitress began to grin. The girl rubbed the back of her head, blushing pink. People always became grateful the second she mentioned that she wanted to help them. It made her feel guilty. _I haven't even done anything yet._ She spotted some young men in the road, who instantly ran toward the café when they saw her. _Damn. Not this again._

The young men were a little older than her and stood in the entrance for a moment with looks of awe. "Wow! It really is her! Samurai Catgirl!" one of them exclaimed.

"Hey, is Loli Catgirl around, too? Is that why you're here?"

"Can we get an autograph?! Please?"

The waitress snickered and Noriko ran her fingers through her hair, agitated. "Samurai Catgirl, was it?" the older woman asked.

"I-it's just my stupid hero name! I don't want to talk about it! Just give me something to sign!" She autographed a few photos that the young men handed her and answered a few questions before they left her to finish her coffee in peace. "I hate being recognized."

"So who's this Loli Catgirl? I don't really keep up with the latest hero news," the woman said, sliding her a plated bagel with bacon slices.

Noriko was more than happy to accept the food. "Loli Catgirl…she's my little sister. I've been searching for her for a while now, but I'm not having any luck. Whenever she's in one city and I rush to get to her, she suddenly disappears and goes somewhere else."

When she left the café, her ears were drooping once more and she felt her tail sag. _I don't like to think about my sister. I hate to think about what happened. The thought of her wandering the world alone scares me._ She clutched the strap of her bag tightly and sighed, tilting her head back to look at the sky as she walked. Noriko Murasaki felt utterly alone and knew that she was. She had no family to go to, no home to return to, and no one to really talk to. The Hero Association liked to send her out on missions because they knew that no one would ask questions if she vanished or get angry if she died.

It was starting to get dark so Noriko turned down an alley, intending to find an abandoned building to take refuge in for the night. Instead, she found a small group of stray cats. They were feasting on some scraps of meat that were being fed to them by a man in a yellow hooded sweatshirt and jeans. She tilted her head, somewhat curious and somewhat unnerved by his appearance. His head was completely bald, shining in the dying sunlight.

When he lifted his gaze from the felines, he was wearing a somewhat deadpan expression. It soon bloomed into a dorky smile that made her take a step back. "Hey, look. Another cat. Are you hungry, too?"

Noriko stared at him for a moment. Something seemed sort of 'off' about the man. He looked to be in his mid-twenties, but the baldness was throwing her off. "No…I'm not hungry. Just looking for a place to stay." She saw him stand up from his crouched position and blushed pink when she saw that his shirt read 'oppai'. _Why is he wearing something so ridiculous? Is he a pervert or something?_ When he started to walk her way, she took quick steps back. Her tail coiled around her leg, the tip twitching with fear. "I-I don't want any trouble, mister!"

His smile was beginning to scare the girl. "Is that a cat tail? What are you?"

"I don't-!"

"Master Saitama, I left the store and lost sight of you. What are you doing in here?" came a voice from behind Noriko.

 _I'm trapped! This is just great! I'm going to die, or worse, and I'll never know what happened to my sister!_ Her eyes clenched tightly shut and she prepared herself for the worst. Instead, the bald man stepped around her to join the other man. The cats looked disappointed that he was leaving them.

"I was feeding these cats. They looked hungry." He glanced back at Noriko as she turned toward the alley opening. "What about you?"

"What?! Wh-what about me? I don't want any trouble, okay, so just-!" She took several steps back as his friend moved toward her. _Just when I thought I was safe! I can't just kill them though; I don't know anything about these people and heroes aren't allowed to kill anyone that isn't a villain or a direct threat to normal citizens!_

This man was closer to her age and had eyes that were a sharp metallic yellow and matte black. He narrowed these eyes on her until they filled with recognition. "Samurai Catgirl!"

"N-no, uh…you've got me confused…er…y-yeah, that's me," she said. _I don't want them to think I'm my sister. I can't let anyone think that. It's too dangerous!_

"What brings you to City Z, Samurai Catgirl?" Behind him, his bald friend was snickering. The young man before her was taller than her, with blonde hair and a sleeveless shirt that exposed his robotic arms.

She winced when he spoke her hero name. It was horrifically embarrassing and she wished that she had been given a choice when it came to picking the name. "Hn…my actual name's Noriko," she stated, hoping he would stop calling her Samurai Catgirl.

"Noriko-san, then. What brings you to City Z?"

 _He's being so formal. Not even_ _he_ _was this formal._ The girl tried to nonchalantly push her hands into her pockets. "I just…wanted to help people. I heard that there were monsters here so…I thought I could help people here."

This answer seemed to please both of the men. "Noriko-san, where are you staying while you visit City Z?"

"Oh no! It's a tiny place as it is!" his friend argued.

"It's…fine. I don't need much. In fact, I'm fine in this alley." To prove her point, she sat on an overturned crate and set her bag to the side. Instantly, the stray cats crowded around her for attention. The two men remained where they stood, though the bald one began to look bored. "I swear. I'm fine here."

The blonde looked slightly skeptical. "If you insist on staying in this alley, at least allow me to leave our address with you." He scribbled it on a piece of paper, ignoring the way she argued with him.

She grudgingly accepted the paper, shoving it into her jacket pocket. "I…highly doubt that I'll drop by."

"I understand that. After all, you are a Class A hero."

Noriko bit her lower lip and sighed. "If I do…decide to drop by…I intend to bring a gift. What sort of gift would you like?" He appeared slightly taken aback and his friend turned his attention to her once more. "I understand that it's only right to bring a gift if you visit someone. My mother said so anyway."

"If you drop by, you should bring food," the bald man spoke before the blonde could protest. "Something good."

She bowed her head. "Very well. Thank you, sir."

"It's Saitama. And this is Genos."

"Right…thank you, Saitama-san and Genos-san." Noriko waited for them to leave before letting herself frown. _That blonde one was a cyborg, wasn't he? Didn't I hear the waitress talking to someone about a blonde cyborg hero? Something…she said he was cute or something like that. If that was him, I guess he was attractive. He didn't look very old, either._ She moved off of the crate and settled against the wall of the building, sitting on the ground. The stray cats curled up around her and she sighed. _Heroes, villains. I don't even really follow the news on them anymore unless it concerns my sister. There are so many opportunities here, I wouldn't be surprised if she came to City Z._

The night wore on and she slept peacefully against the wall. She was woken by a heavy rain and grimaced as she pushed herself to her feet. The stray cats scattered to hide from the rain, leaving her alone once more. With a heavy sigh, Noriko looked at the address that Genos had given her. Thinking back to the two young men, she weighed her options. _I can stay in an abandoned building or I can go to a stranger's place. They knew who I was. Well one of them did. What if they're heroes, too? What if they can help me find my sister?_

She stopped at a convenience store and picked up some fresh meat buns before trudging through the rain-soaked streets to the address. It led her to an apartment building and up a flight of stairs. Standing before the door, Noriko frowned with uncertainty. _Here goes nothing!_ She raised a fist and knocked tentatively.

The door opened to the blonde cyborg. He seemed a little surprised to see her and moved aside immediately to let her in. Her long violet hair was dripping with rain water and her clothes were clinging damply to her pale skin. She ruffled her hair to try to get some water out of it and held up a bag of meat buns, attempting a smile. "You came."

"It's raining. And you did offer, kindly. So I come bearing meat buns." The bag was quickly taken by Saitama, who carried them off to the small table in the next room.

"Allow me to get you a towel, Noriko-san." Genos was soon using a fluffy white towel to attempt to dry her hair. She frowned, but allowed it. He subtly studied her as he tried to dry her hair, intrigued to see her up close. The heroine had very pale skin, but seemed to blush easily as her cheeks turned a rosy pink shade. Her eyes were a bright green and she kept them shifted to the side in order to avoid his gaze. She had a few light scars; one across her nose and a few on her cheeks and neck.

"Hey, so what's your real name? Is it Samurai Catgirl or Noriko?" Saitama called from the other room.

"Hn. Well, my mother didn't give me this name. I don't really remember the name she gave me. The guy that made me this way called me Project Nya. Just Nya for short. My sister…Loli Catgirl. He called her Project Koneko." She was glad when Genos stepped back from her. When he stood so close, it made her quite nervous. The only man she had ever been that close to before was the scientist that altered her. Noriko walked to the other room and sat across from Saitama, watching him devour the meat buns.

He snickered. "Nya? It's kind of cute. What kind of guy was he?"

"Yes. How exactly did you become a cat-person?" Genos asked, sitting nearby.

She bowed her head, scowling. "Some gross otaku creep. He kidnapped me when I was twelve and tried to make me into his 'ideal anime girlfriend'. I was stuck with him for four years until he created Koneko. My little sister. She went haywire one year later and killed him before disappearing. Since then, I've been trying to find her."

Saitama had stopped paying attention, but Genos was still listening. He seemed to be analyzing the information she gave him. "Your sister is Loli Catgirl? The highest ranking villain in popularity among male citizens?"

Noriko shivered. "That would be her."

He sensed her discomfort and took it the wrong way entirely. "You do know that you are one of the top ranking heroes in popularity among male citizens, don't you? Male citizens between the ages of…" The blonde continued to rattle off statistics, not seeming to notice that both she and Saitama were starting to doze off.

Finally, she shook her head. "I'm sorry, but…can I sleep here tonight? Tomorrow, I promise to leave."

Saitama finished off one of the last three buns and pushed the last two across the table. "Yeah, sure. These were pretty good. You'll have to tell me what store you went to." With that, he collapsed unceremoniously onto his back on his futon.

The girl's eyebrows raised at this and peered at the man over the edge of the table. He was completely asleep. "So…I'll sleep over here then. I don't need a futon."

Genos was about to protest and insist on her taking his futon when he saw her strip out of her jacket. Beneath it, she was wearing a tank top that hugged her chest and stomach tightly from being soaked. She shifted a little and soon had her jeans off as well. He knew that if he could blush, his face would be turning red. He began to wonder just what her 'gross otaku creep' had made her do. She seemed to not be too bothered by stripping in front of him, but her cheeks were becoming pink.

She curled up on the floor on her side, trying not to think about the two men that were near her. Closing her eyes, she wrapped her arms around herself. _Koneko. I'll find you. When I find you, I'm not entirely sure what I'll do. I can't let you keep destroying things and hurting people, but I don't want to kill you. When you murdered Kenta, I had mixed feelings. He had been the only person I talked to for years. But you liberated us both. If only I'd had a family to return to._ Tears formed in her eyes. The night that Kenta kidnapped her, he killed her parents and siblings. Koneko was her sister in name alone, but over the two years that she knew the younger girl, she had grown to see her as a little sister. The tears slid down her face and Noriko began to tremble ever so slightly. _I'll end it. I must. And when I've ended her rampage, I will need to end myself so that nothing is left of that horrible event._


	2. Chapter 2

Being a cyborg, he required very little sleep. Normally, this was a good thing, but today he wished that he could have stayed asleep a little longer. He rose from his futon, rolled it up, and was taken aback when he spotted her. The blonde had nearly forgotten that Noriko was there. She was sleeping on the floor, on her side, with her long violet hair fanned out behind her. The girl's cat tail was draped over her leg, her feline ears twitching slightly in her sleep. She was wearing a pair of black female boxers and a black sports bra, exposing quite a bit of her pale flesh. He stood there for a long moment, taking in her appearance, before shaking his head and moving to put away his futon.

Her story stirred emotions in him that he did not like. Anger. Frustration. Things that he should not feel so strongly when it comes to a stranger. Of course, he had heard about her before. The Hero Association often sent her to fight monsters and villains since she was Class A and deemed disposable. The idea that she had started off as normal, like himself, but forced into this new form left him feeling a certain pain. Someone wanted to make her into their ideal girl and then turned around and created another version. What sort of pain had she felt when he betrayed her that way? He had destroyed her life in order to make her into something he could love and then created another version to love. Genos curled his hands into fists and considered leaving.

She shifted in her sleep, curling into a tighter ball. Her tail's tip twitched now and she shivered. It made him wonder if she was having a nightmare. What she would be dreaming about. With a frown, he dragged a blanket over her and turned his back on the girl so he could focus on making breakfast. His master was still asleep, snoring in his own futon. Another glance at Noriko over his shoulder showed that her upper half had moved out from beneath the blanket. It began to dawn on him then that Loli Catgirl must be like a younger version of Noriko. A less busty version, for certain, and most likely more petite. Again, he felt anger growing inside of him, and he forced himself to look away.

 **Shift P.O.V**

Noriko blushed red when she woke up. Saitama was eating at the table and tried not to look as she pulled on a pair of shorts and a tank top from her bag. Settling a cat bell choker around her neck, she frowned. _I hate this thing, but when I wear it, I feel like I can sense my sister better. I know that she still wears hers. I've seen the pictures._ Without a word, she pulled on her freshly dried jacket and moved toward the door. "Saitama-san, Genos-san, thank you for letting me stay the night. I'll be sure to repay the favor when I can."

"So what can you do anyway?" Saitama's hand went up his pajama shirt, scratching his stomach. "I mean, you said that guy tried to make you into his 'ideal anime girlfriend', right? So what can you do?"

Her brow furrowed and she gestured to the twin swords on her back. "I can fight using swords or hand to hand combat, I can cook and clean, I can balance a checkbook, I can create and manage budgets, I can do tea ceremony, and I can learn quickly. When my mind was altered, he wanted to make sure that I was able to do these things so he took out a lot of my memories from my earlier life."

"You can cook and clean?"

It was now that she noticed how messy the area around him was. She felt herself beginning to grow a bit pale. "Yes. I know a lot of recipes."

"Ugh." He leaned backwards and fell onto his back on the floor. "Uuuuugggghhh! Fine. You can stay until you get a lead on your sister. You don't have hairballs, right?"

"Why would I want to stay here?" she bluntly asked.

"Why _wouldn't_ you? You wanted to sleep in an alley last night and look how that turned out. How old are you?"

"Eighteen," she replied. "I'm an adult. I can take care of myself, Saitama-san."

"What are we discussing?" Genos set down a tray with three bowls of steamed rice. He looked at his master, who was lying on his back, and then looked at Noriko.

Saitama sat up at the smell of fresh food and began eating again. "I told her she could stay, but she doesn't want to."

"You should stay. It would be safer for you. At least until you find Loli Catgirl."

"I…can take care of myself."

"It's not just about that," Saitama argued. "I want to see how strong you are." He met her confused gaze with a determined one for a brief instant before regaining his default deadpan expression. "What do you think? Want to spar with me?"

 _I have no idea what either of these men are capable of. Genos is a cyborg! He might have missiles or flamethrowers! And Saitama is a complete mystery to me! I'm still not convinced that he isn't a pervert, either._ Noriko started to eat the food placed before her, noticing bits of shredded meat bun in her rice. The taste was not unpleasant. "I don't want to spar with you," she determined. "You're… _unsettling_."

"Spar with me then. I would like to see how you fight," Genos determined.

"I fight with swords."

"That is fine. I am sure that this sparring match will be beneficial to both of us." He stared back at her until she finally conceded. At this, he displayed a bit of excitement. She was a Class A hero so she was bound to be strong.

She slouched a little as she continued to eat, glancing up every so often to watch Saitama shovel food into his mouth. Her ears went back, tail twitching with agitation. _I need to get out there and find monsters so I can fight to get stronger! I should at least try to find Koneko, too! If I stay with these two, there's no telling what might happen!_ She watched as Saitama got up, leaving her alone at the table with Genos. Noriko tried to not look his way, feeling his eyes on her. Though his interest seemed to lie mainly in sparring, she still felt uneasy in his presence. Most males made her feel this way.

"Why are you trained in swordsmanship? Didn't you say that your creator was trying to create his 'ideal anime girlfriend'?"

Noriko stiffened. "Er…well he wanted me to be able to protect him because he was bullied in school." Thinking about Kenta made her angry and sick to her stomach. He had been fifteen when he kidnapped her, three years older than her, and as much as she hated it, she knew that he had loved her. He had loved her, at least for a while. When he took her, she became his world and he made himself her world. She was only able to speak to him, saw only him. He doted on her and tried, in his own creepy and misguided way, to make her happy. Then he began to ponder having a second girl to dote on and Koneko was created.

Unlike Noriko, Koneko was created from a faux-organic material in a large test tube. She formed quickly, over a short period of time, and lived with them for one year. Kenta taught her everything that she needed to know, but when she heard Noriko talk about the outside world, she began to ask questions that made Kenta very angry. That was when he became violent with both of the girls.

Genos saw her shiver and wondered what she was thinking about. "What sort of person was your creator, Noriko-san?"

Bowing her head, she shrugged. "He was a creep. He was a few years older than me…chubby and he wore glasses…he had stringy black hair." Noriko stared down at her empty rice bowl, mouth twisting into a deep frown. "He loved me, but it wasn't real love. The years I spent with him were full of misguided affection and disgusting obsession."

"Sounds like a creep." Saitama scratched his stomach again, standing in the doorway. "What time do you guys want to go spar?"

"You want to spar with me?" Genos asked, hopeful.

"I'm just going to watch. I want to see what Nya-chan can do." He moved off toward a clothes basket and rummaged for a yellow hero suit, red gloves, and red boots.

Noriko hurriedly looked away as he began to changed clothes, her face turning red. _He's just going to change right here in front of us?! And why did he call me that? That name is an embarrassment!_

The three went to a large, open field where no citizens could possibly be harmed and the girl stood a good distance from Genos. Her jacket was discarded in order to off her freedom of movement and her swords were in her hands. "So…it's just sparring, right?" she asked with caution. Even from over a hundred feet away, she could see that he was excited to spar.

"Yes, just sparring. But do not go easy on me. You should know that I am difficult to hurt." He watched her take on a fighting stance and felt his mechanical heart beat faster in anticipation. True to her hero name, the stance was very similar to what one would expect from an ancient samurai. When he rushed forward to engage her, the girl moved swiftly and gracefully to avoid being hit. He watched her take several steps backwards before running at him with both blades ready to strike.

She twisted to avoid another hit and shifted behind him. When he turned, swinging an arm as if to punch her, Noriko raised both blades and sent a sharp current along them. His expression turned to one of surprise and he took steps back, trying assess what had happened. Her swords had been created by Kenta and were gifted with certain abilities that she rarely used. _But if I'm going to spar with Genos, I want to show him what I'm made of!_ Rushing forth once more, Noriko lifted both blades and brought them down to sink into his shoulders.

He hurriedly caught both blades in his hands and twisted hard, sending her body flying several feet away onto the hard ground. She skidded over the dust and gritted her teeth as she tried to steady herself. At times like this, she envied Koneko; the younger girl had a flat chest and much better balance. Genos watched her regroup and tossed her swords aside. The current had come from seemingly nowhere and ignited something within him. When she ran at him this time, with her fists ready to strike, he could not wait for her to try to connect.

Noriko pursued him, trying desperately to strike him as he avoided each hit with care to where they were stepping. There were cracks in the earth here and he seemed to be trying hard to keep her from tripping over them. At the same time, he was trying to keep her from actually striking his metal body and injuring her small hands. It was when her gaze turned from frustration to rage that he knew he was in danger.

Genos moved back quickly to avoid her sharp nails. She was beginning to act on feline instincts and he was starting to understand how her mind had been warped by her creator. Noriko was bearing sharp fangs and growling lowly at the back of her throat. When she closed the distance between them and aimed at his throat, he acted without thinking. A blast of energy left his palm and connected with her chest, sending Noriko flying backwards and into a rocky wall. Dust rose and he immediately regretted his actions.

The breath had been knocked from her lungs and she tried to gasp for air as he appeared in her line of sight. She was on the ground, staring up at the sky, and flinched when his face came into view. To her utter embarrassment, he lowered himself to his knees at her side and brought his face close to hers. _What is he doing?! I just need to get some air…_

"Are you alright, Noriko-san? I did not mean to-"

"She okay?" Saitama appeared behind him, staring at the girl over his shoulder. "Ouch. Better clean that up," he remarked, pointing at the scorched flesh at the center of her chest.

The blast had burned through her shirt and bra, leaving the skin beneath bruised and bloody. She coughed up a bit of blood and gasped. "D-damn it…ngh!" The girl's right hand moved to try to cover her exposed skin, but a cold metal hand gripped her wrist to stop her. "Genos-san, I-"

"Please. Allow me to take care of it."

Before they could start arguing, Saitama grabbed her other hand and put her over his shoulder. "It looks pretty bad. I have ointment back at my place so we'll just go there." He glanced over at Genos quizzically. "Can you get her stuff?"

"Y-yes, of course, Master Saitama."

They watched the blonde run over to where her jacket and swords lay, neither speaking for a moment. Finally, Noriko broke it. "I…don't know why you want me around."

He shrugged. "Dunno. Just don't want to see you get hurt, I guess. So what's with you and Genos?"

"Genos-san? What do you mean?"

"I mean, you two are acting weird. What happened after I went to sleep?" Saitama stared straight ahead at the blonde as Noriko fell silent. "You've got a pretty big bust. What size is it?"

Her face turned bright red and she closed her eyes. "I-I'm a C-cup."

"So Loli Catgirl must be an A-cup, right?"

The wind blew through her long, purple hair and brushed over his scalp, startling them both mildly. She silently brooded, draped over his shoulder like a sack of flour, and was alarmed when she felt her tail being touched. It quickly coiled around the wrist of the male hero and he raised an eyebrow. "D-don't touch my tail, please! It's sensitive!"

"I just wanted to see if you could feel it when someone touches it. You know, you really do look like an anime character." He paused and smirked, but she was unable to see it. Realization was dawning on him. "That otaku creep was trying to make a waifu, wasn't he?"

"Y-you don't have to say it out loud."

Again, he shrugged. "I mean, it's not like he didn't succeed. You're probably everything he wanted, right?"

She sighed and released his wrist. "Not everything or else Koneko wouldn't exist."

He watched as Genos started back toward them, feeling the wind flow over his scalp. "Hey, but at least you're a cute waifu. Your sister doesn't even sound like my type."

"Wait…what?" Noriko gasped as he suddenly rushed off over the rocky terrain, carrying her like it was nothing. The scenery sped past her, the girl's green eyes going wide with shock. _He's really, really fast. And Genos is keeping pace with him, too. How are they so fast?_ Anxiety was beginning to build within her and she found herself pressing a hand to Saitama's back in order to brace herself. Her fingertips dug into the fabric of his hero outfit as she briefly glimpsed a figure in the distance. A figure wearing black and watching the trio with venomous contempt.

"Are you sure that she will be safe if that way?"

Saitama shrugged, inadvertently jostling her. "Better than making her walk, right?"


	3. Chapter 3

Noriko had been living with Saitama and Genos for about a week before the first incident. It was embarrassing for only one of them and she hurried to cover her eyes, but it was too late. Her face red, she carefully backed out of the bathroom and promptly collapsed onto the floor. _What the hell?! Did he just forget to close the door? Is he really that absentminded?_

"Are you alright, Noriko-san? I heard a sound and-" Genos froze, made a sound of irritation, and pulled the bathroom door closed. "Are you alright, Noriko-san?" he repeated.

"Er…y-yeah, but why is he…?" She shook her head and pushed herself to stand. "I…um…I think I should go out for a bit. Do you want anything from the convenience store?"

"Allow me to accompany you. I prepared a grocery list."

"No, I just…er…well I need some time to myself." Noriko bit her thumbnail and her feline ears went back, tail swishing in agitation. _I can't believe Saitama forgot to close the door when he got in the bath! That image will forever be burned into my memory!_ She held out her hand and accepted the list from Genos before setting off.

The past week had been chaotic for her. Upon returning home from the sparring match, her wound was tended to and she changed into clean clothes. She received no news about Koneko over the past days, but she had witnessed so many odd things related to Saitama that she doubted she would have had time to notice if Koneko had been spotted. She had gone out with him and Genos separately over the course of the week, helping wherever she could. Her least favorite thing so far had been scouring the city with a desperate Saitama who needed to defeat at least one monster by that day's end.

"You! Aren't you that guy's girlfriend?" an unfamiliar voice demanded from behind her.

Noriko paused in the middle of the street and turned to look at the speaker. He was taller than her and dressed mostly in black, his black hair tied up and away from his face except for a number of stray locks. The expression he wore was one of satisfaction and excitement. "I'm sorry. I think you have me confused…" She frowned as he frowned. "What?"

"Saitama. You're his girlfriend. I know you are. I saw him carrying you!"

"I was injured…" What she did not add was that she wanted to know how he knew that. "Saitama is just letting me stay with him for now."

"So if you're not his girlfriend, what are you?"

"His friend…?" She stared back at the young man for a moment before taking a step back. "I need to get groceries so…"

"You're his disciple like that cyborg then!"

The girl raised an eyebrow and her tail began to twitch subtly. "No. I'm not his disciple."

It was now that he noticed the twin swords strapped to her back. "Are you a ninja?"

"Samurai." She saw his gaze instantly darken. "Samurai Catgirl," she corrected herself as her ears perked forward in alertness. "And you are?"

"Speed o' Sound Sonic. If you're a samurai, then show me what you've got!" He reached to a sword on his hip, mouth twitching slightly at the corners.

 _What is he doing?! We're in the middle of the street! Citizens could be hurt if we fight here!_ Noriko took a step back, her frown growing. "Sonic. I don't want to fight you."

"If you won't put up a fight, you're sure to die!" He quickly closed the distance between himself and the girl. She was shorter than him, which made this situation dangerous for her. As he got closer, he was able to take in her appearance better. She had a large chest for a female warrior and as he thought this, a grin spread across his face.

She moved both of her swords just in time to block his attack. His eyes widened, but the grin remained intact. It sent a chill down her spine. _Why is he doing this?! And why is he grinning like that?_ Noriko gritted her teeth. "So…damn…creepy!" She put forth all of her strength and shoved him back, putting distance between them again. "Why are you grinning like that?! What's so amusing?"

"I've never seen a samurai with a chest like that. Doesn't it get in the way of fighting?" he taunted, watching her carefully. She looked irritated and her ears went back to show this. "You say you're not his girlfriend. So are you dating the cyborg then?" He moved in to attack again, but she blocked once more.

"I'm not dating either of them!" she growled, pushing away from him.

Sonic quickly pursued her until the girl backed herself into the side of a building. She braced herself for his next attack, her jaw muscles clenched and fear was evident in her bright green eyes. He moved past her blades, chest pressing against her soft bust, and leaned in close so that his face hovered above hers. What he had wanted, what he had planned, was to defeat her in battle and kidnap her so that his real target would fight him. Seeing her up close was making it difficult to focus. Not to mention that she seemed almost offended when he asked if she was Saitama's girlfriend.

She froze in place, trembling with fear. His body was pressed against hers, pinning her in place against the wall. Even if she tried to stab him with one of her swords, the angle would be awkward and she would risk hurting herself as well. As her mind began to race with options, she felt the ninja's hand go beneath her chin, tilting her face upwards. _This is it! He'll slit my throat and then-!_ Her thought ended abruptly as his lips met hers. The kiss was tentative at first, as if to test her reaction, and soon turned strangely passionate. The girl's eyes widened when she felt his hips grind lightly against hers.

"You're lucky. You get to live another day. The next time I challenge you to a fight, be prepared to defend yourself!" Sonic pulled away and smirked before vanishing.

Noriko stood frozen for a moment, blinking in alarm. _What the hell was that?! A ninja…some strange, random ninja that I've never seen before in my life…just kissed me! Why?!_ She took a few steps away from the wall and lightly touched her lips. Her cheeks burned at the memory of his body pressed against hers. The girl's heart beat a little faster and her body seemed to heat up in an odd way. Shaking her head, she set off for the convenience store with the determination to hurry back to the apartment. _At least Saitama and Genos don't do stuff like that._

Grocery shopping went without incident and she set about cooking lunch without speaking to either of her roommates. It was easy because both had been called away on missions. Standing at the stove, she sighed. Her first kiss had been with Kenta and it had been horribly unpleasant. There had been many more kisses after that, none of which contained love on her part. They had been sloppy and left her with a feeling of absolute disgust. The ninja's kiss had started out soft, almost tender, and escalated quickly to something more. It had been forceful, but fiery in a way that made her blush once more as she recalled it. _Speed o' Sound Sonic. Isn't that what he called himself? Why did he do that?_

The door opened to admit a bored-looking Saitama and a mildly injured Genos. The cyborg was holding one of his arms, examining it as he walked into the apartment as if trying to decide if he could fix it himself. Saitama immediately began stripping out of his costume to change into jeans and a shirt, not even sparing her a warning. Noriko bowed her head and tried to focus on the hamburg steak she was cooking. Despite her best efforts, her thoughts kept wandering back to her encounter with Sonic.

"Hey, what's going on? Your face is all red," Saitama commented, suddenly right beside her. He stared down at the food longingly. "Are they almost done? I'm starving."

"Uh…yeah. Almost done." She glanced over, hoping that he would leave.

He continued to stand there, but his eyes shifted to her face. "Is the heat getting to you? Your face is still red."

"I-it's nothing!" she protested.

"Is it something you're thinking about?"

"I said it's nothing!" Noriko bared a fang at him, irritated when he smiled. "What?"

"It _is_ something you're thinking about. Hey, Genos, Nya-chan is having dirty thoughts over here." Satisfied when her face turned redder, he moved off to sit at the table.

Her shoulders drooped, her ears turned back. _What should I do? I need to find something to distract me from thinking about Sonic. Ugh! Why can't I stop thinking about him? Is it because that's the first positive intimacy I've felt from a guy?_ She plated their food and brought it out to the table. Genos was sitting with his arm, trying to reattach it. He spared her a brief glance before continuing his work. Saitama was staring at the television screen. Noriko tried to imagine either of them being intimate, but simply could not. It was just too strange to think about.

Genos finished attaching his arm and finally looked over at his companions. By this point, Saitama had finished eating and Noriko was nervously poking at her food with a fork. "Is something bothering you, Noriko-san?"

"N-nothing," she muttered in reply.

"You were blushing an awful lot while you were cooking," Saitama pointed out. "What were you thinking about? Something dirty?"

"Master Saitama, I do not think that Noriko-san would be having such thoughts."

"We're all young here. Everyone has those thoughts. Even you, probably. Don't you?" At this, both he and Noriko looked at Genos.

The blonde dropped his gaze to his meal and knew that if he was capable of blushing that his face would be pink. "As you said, everyone has those thoughts."

"See? Nothing to be embarrassed about, Nya-chan. So what was it? Or _who_ was it?"

"I-I'm not having this conversation with you, Saitama-san!" She hated to raise her voice, but wanted desperately for this conversation to come to an end.

A smile grew on his face. "I'm going to keep asking until you tell me. I can go all night."

Though she knew he usually passed out after dinner, she knew that he would carry the discussion over to the next day and then the next. He was persistent when it came to something he might find amusing. Slouching, her ears went back and her tail curled at her side limply. Nervously biting her thumbnail, she looked away from the young men. "Er…something happened…when I was walking to the convenience store."

"Were you assaulted? Tell me who it was and I will annihilate them!" Genos immediately declared, hands planted firmly on the table's surface.

"I don't know if it was _assault_ exactly."

"Then what was it? Just some guy you thought was cute? Let me guess. He held a door open for you or said your boobs were nice, right?" Saitama seemed entirely too amused with her discomfort now.

"N-nothing like that. Um…he pinned me against a wall and kissed me." She flinched when she heard Genos slam his fists on the table. "Wait! I mean, it wasn't like he wanted to hurt me. I don't really know what he wanted. But…er…well it wasn't unpleasant." Long locks of violet hair fell over her pale face as she felt both men looking at her. _I won't tell them who he is. After hearing what Genos said, I don't doubt that he'll try to find Sonic. I don't want to cause unnecessary trouble for anyone._

"Who was he?" There was a dark tone to the words as they left Genos.

"That's not considered assault? You didn't even know him, did you?"

"I…didn't catch his name," she lied.

The two men exchanged suspicious glances, but asked no further questions. "The next time you go out, one of us will accompany you," Genos determined.

"Wh-what if I like him though? I don't…" She trailed off as Saitama stood and stretched.

He picked up his plate and went to the kitchen for a moment. "We don't want someone else taking away our kitten," he joked, ruffling her hair on his way back to his seat. His fingers inadvertently rubbed behind one of her feline ears and she issued forth a soft purring sound. He raised his eyebrows and snickered. "What was that sound you just made?"

Her face turned red and Noriko shook her head. She flopped onto her side on the floor and curled up into a ball. "I'm going to sleep now."

 **Shift P.O.V**

The thought of her being accosted by someone in the street was bad enough. The thought of this mystery man pinning her against a wall and kissing her made his mechanical heart race with anger. He wanted to know who the man was, but she seemed determined to not let his name be known. Unfortunately, he began to dwell on the incident as he washed the dishes. Images filled his head of Noriko being pushed against a wall violently and a faceless man attacking her. The plate he had been scrubbing broke in half.

"Everything okay in there?" Saitama called from the other room.

"Yes. Everything is fine," Genos lied. His eyes narrowed on the plate, imagining that it was the mystery man's face. "Master Saitama, can you come here for a moment?"

The hero got up from his seat, careful to walk around the sleeping girl on the floor. She was out cold, which was for the best. The conversation could have escalated dangerously. "What do you need, Genos?"

"Are you bothered by what happened to Noriko-san?"

They both glanced over at the girl. She stirred in her sleep, shifting onto her other side. "Huh? Yeah. I mean, I don't want Nya-chan to get hurt."

"It's more than that. Master Saitama, she refuses to tell us the man's name. What if he threatened her? What if he plans to do worse to her?"

Saitama tilted his head, his expression deadpan. "If that happens, we'll do something about it. No one's going to touch her and get away with it." He snickered. "Remember that noise she made when I touched her ear?"

"Yes. Her creator must have given her modifications to make her more catlike. What if she falls in love with this person, Master Saitama?"

"We won't let that opportunity come, I guess. We just can't let her go off by herself. That's all." He waved off Genos' look of surprise. "Look, it's not what you think. I just like having her around. It's like having a girlfriend without the pressure. So are we agreed?"

"Yes. I will not let her be alone for even a second."

Saitama looked at him with confusion. "I mean, you don't have to go that far. Just make sure she isn't alone when she leaves the apartment. If she isn't alone, he probably won't approach her. And even if he does, then we'll at least know his identity, right?"


	4. Chapter 4

_I know they think they're being sneaky, but they're not._ Noriko had wanted to leave the apartment to go to the park. It had been two weeks since the incident with Sonic, but since then she had always had company when she left the apartment. Today, she left on her own and found a bench to sit on where she could think about her plans for the future. Attempting, and failing, to hide across the park from her was Genos. _Does he really think he can hide behind a bush that small?_

She stood and pushed her hands into the pockets of her grey sweatshirt, frowning. Even as she walked over to the bush, Genos continued to stay crouched and observed her every move. When she was finally standing over him, she tilted her head and her tail flicked back and forth slowly. "Genos-san…did you drop a coin or something?"

"Continue with your activities, Noriko-san. I am here to protect you from harm," he stated. To his utter puzzlement, she continued to stare down at him. There were children at the park, which made his activities already quite suspicious, but the children's mothers were now murmuring about Genos and blushing.

Rubbing the back of her head, she sighed. "Um…maybe you shouldn't do that here."

"Why not? I intend to keep you safe from harm, Noriko-san."

"I mean…people are staring at us." In response, he continued to stare up at her in confusion. She wrinkled her nose in irritation and held out a hand to him. "Just get up. You can sit with me so people will stop gawking." Though she knew that was not bound to happen. The girl heard what the mothers were saying about him; he was attractive and a hero. Women loved him. Meanwhile, she only got glares from women.

He straightened and took her hand, walking back to the bench with her. Once they were seated, he turned toward her and ignored the way the other women stared at him. "Noriko-san, why did you come here today? Were you planning to meet someone?"

Since she mentioned the incident with the ninja, Genos had been unrelenting in trying to find out who the man was. Saitama still teased her about it, but he seemed to not care who the man had been. "I'm not meeting anyone. I'm just thinking about the future."

"The future?" he repeated. "What are you thinking about the future? What will be for dinner tonight? I plan to make seaweed salad."

"What? No…um…I'm thinking about my sister. I still need to find her," she answered truthfully. There had been nothing about the younger catgirl in the news or in the paper so Noriko had no leads as to where Koneko was.

"Look at that! Is he on a date with that girl?" a middle-aged woman loudly hissed to another woman.

"I hope not! He can do so much better!"

"They're not even sitting close to each other so I wouldn't worry too much," a third commented. "He's probably just getting hero information from her!" At this, all three women nodded in satisfaction.

Noriko's ears went back. _I know I look weird. I'm an otaku's dream girl._ She felt her stomach turn and closed her eyes. "Maybe you shouldn't sit with me. I can protect myself, Genos-san." To her surprise, his metal hand reached over to her far shoulder and dragged her closer to him. The metal felt cold against her skin and made her shiver. "Genos-san?"

"Even if you can protect yourself, I wish to stay by your side. If you are bothered by what those women are saying-"

Her cheeks burned pink. "I-I don't care what they're saying," she muttered. His arm settled around her shoulders and she blinked in surprise. "Genos-san? What are you doing?"

"I do not want someone to think that you are here alone."

 _You're sitting so close that I doubt people would make that mistake._ She closed her eyes once more and sighed. Her thoughts shifted back to Koneko for a moment. Sooner or later, the Loli Catgirl would make a move and when she did, Noriko would need to rush to the location. She started to wonder how her new companions would react to her departure. Worse, how they might react to what she must do once Koneko was defeated. _I'll have to kill her and then myself so that there is nothing left of Kenta's disgusting work. I don't want to die, but I know that it must be done if I want to erase him completely. As long as I live, a small part of him will live._

"You look worried, Noriko-san. What is bothering you?"

"It's…nothing." She pulled away and stood, stretching briefly. "Um…I'm going to the convenience store so…"

"I will go with you," he immediately decided. Genos stood as well and took her small, pale hand into his metal one. "This way no one will think that you are alone."

She walked alongside him, her heart racing at the sensation of his hand gripping hers. It was a delicate hold, as if he was afraid of hurting her. Noriko knew what he was afraid of now. The reason for him following her wherever she went. He was afraid of her meeting up with Sonic again. The very thought of Sonic made her heart skip a beat and her cheeks turned pink. She had not seen him since their first encounter, but was curious about him. Despite her curiosity, she knew it was best not to get involved with the ninja. He had assumed that she was Saitama's girlfriend and immediately went after her. He could only be bad for her.

At the store, she browsed the ice cream section with a small frown. _What do I want to get? I want ice cream, but there are almost too many options here._ Noriko's ears twitched when she sensed that she was being watched. Her tail began to slowly sway side to side as she looked over her shoulder. Genos was standing at her side so she knew that it had to be someone else observing her. _Saitama? Or Sonic? They're probably looking at Genos, whoever they are._

"You are being watched by two teenage boys near the comic section. Would you like for me to make them leave?" Genos spoke up when he saw her glancing over her shoulder.

"Wh-what?" She heard murmurs from the comic book section and blushed pink at what was being said. "Er…no. Have you picked one out yet?" Noriko saw him hold up a popsicle and half-grinned. She was still a little surprised that he ate since he seemed to be mostly mechanical. "Alright, I guess…hm…I'll get one of these vanilla cones."

They exited the store after Noriko signed some autographs for the boys who had been looking at her. It made her stomach twist in knots whenever males talked to her so she wanted to get it over with as soon as possible. When they were standing outside, she gave Genos a slightly apologetic look as he glared at the boys. "You do know that you are not required to sign autographs for everyone, Noriko-san? If you indulge every fan then they will assume you might go further for them," he stated.

 _What is he insinuating?_ She took the wrapping off of her ice cream and tossed it in the trash, wondering if she could lose him during their walk. Noriko was not spectacularly fast, but his presence was making her rather uneasy. "Genos-san, are you worried that I'll run into that man from that incident?" she finally asked.

He was taken aback by her question. The blonde thought that he was being careful in hiding his fear. Rather than answer her immediately, he licked his popsicle and kept his eyes trained ahead of him. "What would you do if you did?"

"I would avoid him," she answered truthfully. "Because I have more important things to worry about. I can't let myself get distracted." Noriko grimaced. _Even though you and Saitama have proved to be a pretty big distraction._

"Do you think about him?" He saw her blush from the corner of his eye. "What do you think about when you think about him, Noriko-san?"

"Um…I just think about what happened, I guess." Just talking about it was making her begin to feel warm and her heart beat faster. "I mean…I guess it's like what Saitama-san said. Everyone has those thoughts. Even you, right?" She tried to laugh, but it came out as a nervous giggle that made her cringe on the inside.

"Yes. Even I have those thoughts sometimes, but I have never actually had such an experience," he answered. "When you think of him, does it arouse you?"

Noriko tripped, but quickly steadied herself. "I-it doesn't matter. I don't want to talk about this with you, Genos-san. Wh-what about you? When do you think about women? And what kind of women are your type?" She licked her ice cream, trying to take her mind off of the horribly awkward situation she was now facing.

"I have those thoughts when I have my alone time in the restroom," was his blunt reply. He watched her lick the ice cream again, her pink tongue moving up the length of the ice cream in a way that sparked something within him. "Is that when you have those thoughts?"

"S-sometimes…and you didn't answer my other question."

"What kind of women I like? There are different kinds that I like, Noriko-san. I just lack the experience to know what it feels like to get that close to someone." He tried to focus on his popsicle, but his eyes wandered over to Noriko as she continued to savor her ice cream. "Do you mind if I try some?"

"Hm?! Um…I mean…if you really want to." She held out her cone and he grabbed her hand, pulling the ice cream to his mouth. The delicate way that he licked it made her begin to blush once more. Her heart skipped a beat and her face went from pink to red when he pulled away and licked his lips.

"Would you like to try mine?" He held out his popsicle and found himself eagerly waiting for her to lick it. When she did, his mechanical heart pumped faster. "I think that yours is better."

"N-no, yours is better." Her ears and tail were perked up, eyes half-closed as she tried to shake the image from her mind. _He said that he thinks about women when he's alone in the bathroom. Does that mean that while he's in there, he's…pleasuring himself? Right there, with me and Saitama in the apartment? But I've never heard any noises like…well he's probably good at keeping himself quiet._

When the ice cream was gone, Genos came to a disturbing realization. "We should have gotten some for Master Saitama. He will be displeased if he knows that we had ice cream without him."

"Ah. Yeah, we should go back." They turned to start back, but walked slowly. _Why though? Why are we walking so slow? Well at least we aren't talking about sex stuff anymore._ She yawned, briefly displaying her fangs. "Genos-san, when I leave to find my sister-"

"When do you plan to leave? We will accompany you."

"No. Hn. I mean, I have to fight her myself." She yelped quietly when both of her shoulders were gripped by cold metal hands. Her bright green eyes lifted to meet his gold and black ones, feeling a chill run down her spine. "Genos-san?"

"You cannot leave by yourself. There is no way of knowing what might happen to you. We will go with you. Do you understand, Noriko-san?" There was an urgency in his voice that made her slightly uneasy. Genos leaned down so his face was quiet close to hers. Around them, people began to whisper. "Noriko-san. Tell me that you understand."

"I-I understand," she replied with a frown. "You're…really close."

It seemed to dawn on him then that he had inadvertently trapped her against the outer wall of a building and his body was very close to hers. The girl's face was starting to become pink as she averted her gaze from his. "Is this how it was when he kissed you?"

"What? Um…n-not quite. Why-?" Noriko's eyes went wide as he leaned down and covered her lips with his. It was a warm, burning kiss that transferred heat through her body almost instantly. His metal fingers wove into her long violet hair and he pressed his cold metal body against hers.

Though he was not completely human, he could still feel things. The feeling of her warm body beneath his filled him with an almost overwhelming sense of affection and attraction. Her chest felt soft and her hair was silky beneath his fingertips. His pelvis pushed forward against hers and the girl released a quiet moan into the kiss. When he broke the kiss, he looked to her facial expression. Her eyes were half-closed and she was blushing profusely. "Is that something that you will think about when you are alone?"

"D-don't ask me that." She bowed her head, trying to hide her embarrassment. The other people on the street had paused to stare at the two and were now quickly moving along.

"I will think about this when I am alone," he stated without hesitation. "Would you like to do this again some time?"

"Genos-san, please…stop talking about it." Noriko was glad when he pulled away from her, but he held one of her hands carefully in his. She was trying to calm herself as they walked back to the apartment.

Saitama was watching the news when they returned and eagerly accepted the ice cream from Genos. Settling in at the table, he glanced from the cyborg to the catgirl and tilted his head. "Did something happen today? Nya-chan's face is red."

"Yes. Master Saitama, I kissed Noriko-san today on our way home from the convenience store." The blonde said this with pride almost and seemed to not notice the girl flinching at his words. "Many people saw us so I believe they will spread rumors now."

The bald hero stared for a moment. "You guys kissed? That's unexpected. I mean, you're around the same age, but I never thought you guys would do that."

"It was just for the experience," Genos explained.

Saitama nearly choked on his ice cream. "You've never kissed a girl before?!"

"I have not."

Meanwhile, Noriko slouched where she was sitting. _Just for the experience. I should have known. It's Genos, after all. What did I expect?_ She listened to their conversation for a while, trying not to imagine him in the bathroom later. Trying not to imagine him pleasuring himself. It proved to be difficult as it was soon all that she could think about. Standing abruptly, she excused herself to the bathroom.

"Are you going to think about our kiss?"

"N-no! I'm not doing anything like that, Genos-san!" She attempted to slam the bathroom door and sat on the floor with her back against the wall. _If it was just for the experience, why did he need to make the kiss so…good? It felt really good. Like when Sonic kissed me._ She shook her head and sighed heavily. The thought of Sonic made her feel tingly, but the thought of Genos seemed to ignite a fire within her.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: If you're enjoying this story, I'm glad. If you're not, I don't care. If you think they're OOC at all, it's to progress the story. It's intentional. I'm crazy. I hope you like the new chapter. I'll try to update often. Thanks. Also, I'm on Twitter as neonhorizon25 if you have questions, comments, or whatever.**

She had been awake for a while and sitting at the table, watching the news with Saitama and Genos. When the cyborg excused himself to the restroom, she winced. Her cheeks heated up and she fidgeted with the end of her tail, trying not to imagine what he might be doing. "Ah. So is there anything about Koneko?" she asked hesitantly.

"Huh? No, nothing today. What if she's given up being evil? What if she's just doing what you're doing?" He gave her a mildly curious glance. Over the past weeks of knowing her, he had discovered that while she was determined to find her sister, she seemed somewhat reluctant as well. As if part of her did not want to locate the girl.

"I doubt that she would want to live a normal life. She's incapable of it." Noriko slouched a little and sighed. _Just like me. I'm not capable of just living a normal life. It feels wrong. I know that I'm abnormal. I'm a freak. I can't hope to have a normal life with a family. I guess maybe this is as close as I'll ever get to that._ Her ears perked forward, tail twitching, as she heard a sound from the bathroom. Images filled her head and she blushed pink.

"You okay? You're not having some kind of post-traumatic episode, are you?"

"No. Nothing like that." She started to wonder how often her roommates did such activities in the bathroom and quickly shook that thought from her mind. _Don't think about it. Guys don't do that all the time anyway, right? They're not like that creep Kenta. He messed up how I view guys. Surely they're not all bad._ The girl bowed her head, strands of purple hair falling over her face. Having lived with them for a little over three weeks, she felt a little better about men. Though there was always a nagging unease at the back of her mind.

He yawned and stretched his arms over his head. "What should we have for dinner? I'm craving udon today."

 _I should make an effort to try to fix what Kenta destroyed, right? I'll just work at it, little by little. I can't keep acting like I'm afraid of these two when they're only trying to help me._ Noriko moved to sit next to Saitama and saw him tense. "Um…udon sounds good."

Slowly, he turned to give her a suspicious look. "What are you doing, Nya-chan?"

"Wh-what? Am I too close?"

"Not really, but why are you sitting so close? Are you cold?"

Now her ears went back and she frowned. "I'm just…trying to get over my fear of men."

"You're afraid of us?"

"Y-you didn't notice?"

He shrugged. "Not really. I just thought you blushed a lot." Casting a glance toward the bathroom, he sighed. "You know, you don't have to push yourself if you don't want to get close us. If it makes you scared-"

"It's not…I mean, I'm not exactly _scared_. Just… _unsettled_."

Saitama changed the channel and grimaced. "Genos was right."

"What?" She followed his gaze and winced. The channel seemed to be geared toward gossip about heroes and they were showing a photo of her and Genos from the incident a few days past. "Damn it…"

"Hey, so how do you feel about Genos anyway?" he asked, trying to be nonchalant.

"Ah…I-I don't know," she muttered in reply. She heard another sound from the bathroom and slouched. "…remember when he was quiet…?"

Saitama snickered. "It's your fault."

"I-I didn't even start it! He was the one that-!"

"Have you seen that one guy since he attacked you?"

She shifted her gaze to the side. "I wasn't attacked. And I haven't seen him."

He looked back to the television, pretending not to care. An idea was forming in his head, but he was almost hesitant to go through with it. When he heard the bathroom door open, he stood and went to the kitchen for a snack. "When are you guys going to spar again?"

Noriko subconsciously lifted a hand to the center of her chest, feeling a slight pain in her old wound. It had been about two weeks since she had been hit with an energy blast from Genos, but it was taking its time healing. _I'm not like them. Saitama comes out of every fight without a scratch on him. Genos rarely gets hurt and even when he does, he can just repair himself. I look weak compared to them._

"Did you want to spar with me again?" Genos asked, appearing in the doorway.

She bowed her head, unable to meet his gaze. _How can you come out of the bathroom after pleasuring yourself and act like nothing happened?! I heard you this time!_ Curling her hands into fists, she took a deep breath. "Sorry. I'm still healing from the last time."

"I apologize for hurting you. I was not thinking when it happened." The blonde sat beside her and waited for Saitama to join them. "Master Saitama, we could spar and Noriko-san could watch."

"I guess. I just need something to do. There's nothing going on today." He opened a bag of chips and looked over at his roommates. The catgirl was nervously toying with the end of her tail and the cyborg was watching the television. "You two should think about dating."

Noriko jumped a little at his remark and Genos turned to look at him. "N-no. Um…that's okay. I have a lot going on and-"

"Yes. Master Saitama, I will date Noriko-san to keep her safe."

"Cool." He saw the look of unease on Noriko's face and smiled. "Don't worry about it. Won't this help you get over your fear anyway?"

"Her fear?"

"She's afraid of guys. Because of what that creep Kenta did to her."

When Genos turned to her, Noriko's face went pink. "Y-you don't have to! In fact, let's just forget Saitama-san said anything, alright?"

"No. We will date. It will be good experience for both of us." He attempted a smile, but it came out a little frightening. "I believe that now would be the optimal time to spar."

Noriko was reluctant to go with them, but agreed to watch their sparring match. She found a safe spot a good distance from where they intended to spar and sat on the hard ground. The wind felt cold against her bare legs and when it blew through her hair, she shivered. _It should be entertaining anyway. Although I've seen both of them fight before._ She recalled fighting a large monster with Saitama and watching him punch it once, sending its innards spraying out all over the ground. _Genos is tough, but Saitama has insane strength. I just hope neither of them get hurt doing this._

When the match began, she watched Genos rush at Saitama. The bald hero stood still for a moment and then seemed to vanish, reappearing across the battlefield seconds later. The blonde turned quickly and was soon approaching Saitama once more. This time, the other hero indulged him and simply avoided each strike while wearing the same deadpan expression that he was prone to wear. The girl watched their movement closely, her fingers twitching in excitement as she pondered the possibilities. Her swords were close by, but to join a fight with Saitama could mean instant death. Especially if she tried to sneak up on him. Genos was preparing to blast fire at the caped hero now and Noriko leaned forward in anticipation. His abilities always made her feel a little envious. Both of them had been altered in some way by a scientist, but he was much more impressive. _At least he doesn't have cat ears and a cat tail,_ she thought bitterly.

Saitama avoided the massive blast of fire, seeming unimpressed by the force of it. As he moved past Genos to get behind the blonde, she tilted her head. _Is he going to attack? He never…_ The cyborg turned around swiftly to strike and saw the blurred after-image of Saitama. Noriko felt a chill run down her spine as a hand planted itself on her shoulder. A look over her shoulder showed Saitama, smiling in that unsettling way that he smiled. "Um…Saitama-san?"

"Go get him."

Noriko was thrown forward with barely enough time to grab her swords. She was able to maintain her balance upon landing and found herself running at Genos. _Damn it! Damn it, damn it, damn it! I didn't want to be doing this again so soon!_ The girl leapt at the blonde's back, hoping she would not regret it.

He turned toward her and jumped back quickly to avoid her blades. "Noriko-san?!"

"She wants to spar! Don't worry about me; I'll be resting over here!" Saitama called.

 _Resting?! Really? What exactly did you do to deserve a rest?_ She lunged at Genos again and he blocked her with his metal forearms. Sparks flew as she struck again and again, attempting to force him back against the rocky wall. He stood firmly in place, eyes narrowed upon her. _Damn it!_ Noriko leapt back as he rushed forward and twisted, swinging her left blade and striking sparks from his shoulder. She took several steps back, watching him carefully and trying to calculate his next move. "You're…lucky I haven't sharpened these in a while," she remarked, hoping to distract him.

"I doubt that you could pierce through me, Noriko-san." Though he said this with the hope that it would convince her not to go easy on him, it instead sparked anger in her.

"Don't underestimate me, Genos-san." With a snarl, Noriko sprinted to clear the distance between them and began to strike repeatedly with both swords. Electricity hummed along their lengths and their steel clashed against his metal body, throwing sparks each time they connected. Her hands began to burn slightly, but she ignored the pain and continued her assault.

Saitama watched all of this with a sense of satisfaction. He had planned to draw out her vicious side just to see what she was capable of. Apparently, she was capable of some ferocious rage because she was attacking their blonde companion again and again without regard for her own safety. He dug in the snack bag she had brought along and helped himself to her cookies, wondering if Kenta had trained her to fight that way.

Genos was impressed with her stamina, but feared how she might take a hit if he did land a punch on her. She was avoiding them fairly well. The girl was rather quick and seemed to excel at dodging. Her main downfall seemed to be her strategy. She appeared determined to push him back against the wall and, for the last ten minutes, had continued to repeat the same actions over and over again. The blonde knew this cycle had to be broken and decided to kill two birds with one stone. Rushing at her, he drove his shoulder into her chest, forcing her to fly back several feet.

She collapsed to her knees, coughing blood, and grimaced. "What…the _hell_ was that for?!" Baring blood-covered fangs, she pushed herself to her feet and brandished her blades. Glaring at him through strands of her long purple hair, her cat ears back and her tail twitching, Noriko grinned. "Hn. Think you can _push_ me? Think I'm some sort of _weakling_?!" He was approaching at a slow pace, the corners of his mouth drawing down into a frown. "Genos-san…you'll get yours! Come on!"

Saitama stared for a long moment, trying to decide if he should interfere. Trying to determine whether or not they had pushed her too far. She looked absolutely wicked and her chest wound was beginning to bleed through her thin t-shirt. Shrugging it off, he decided to see how the sparring match would end. If they were indeed sparring at this point.

Genos moved quickly now to close the distance between them and she twisted out of his reach, driving a sword deep into the back of his shoulder. He grimaced and turned back to face her, surprised that she had taken it so far. "Noriko-san, this is still sparring," he stated.

" _No one_ …can push me around! Not anymore! Not _anyone_!" she growled. Her chest ached, blood soaking through her shirt and making it stick to her skin. _My wound is opening again. Damn it! I can't let them think I'm weak! If I can't take him on, then how am I supposed to kill Koneko?!_ She started to run forward, but this thought made her freeze in her tracks. "Kill…? But I'm…not trying to kill you." Noriko's other sword fell from her hand and she sank to her knees. Her fingers ran through her hair, trying to soothe herself back into a calm state, but her heart was hammering in her chest. Blood was running down to the waistband of her shorts and dripping from the corner of her mouth. "Genos-san…"

He stood over her, puzzled by the turn of events. She had said the word 'kill', which made it worse. Crouching down to her level, he gently lifted her chin to meet her gaze. Her bright green eyes were watery with tears and she shifted them to look away. "Noriko-san. Are you alright?"

Her hands balled into fists, her jaw muscles clenching. "Genos-san, I can't live. Once Koneko is dead, I'll have to join her." The tears streamed down her cheeks as she spoke, her body trembling with a mixture of fear and despair. _I feel happy though. That I got to meet Saitama and Genos. That I got to live like this for a little while._ A hand flicked the back of her head hard, making her cry out sharply in pain. Her hands flew to the now bruised portion of her scalp and she turned to find Saitama standing behind her with the snack bag slung over his shoulder. "S-Saitama-san…"

He stared down at her with his usual deadpan expression for a moment before looking toward the horizon. "If you die, who's going to cook those rice cakes you make? You're not going to die. Let's head back now; it looks like it might rain." He offered a red-gloved hand and was glad when she took it. Hauling her up to stand, he smiled. "Is your shirt gonna be okay?"

She looked at the front of her white t-shirt and snorted. "No…I don't think this stain will come out," she replied with humor. Noriko moved toward Genos and bowed in apology before extracting her sword from his shoulder. Sparks flew out, lightly singing her hand, but she ignored the pain. Sheathing both swords, she turned back to her roommates and gave a satisfied nod. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lose myself like that, but-"

"Let me know if you want to spar with me next time. It's a good way to blow off some steam," Saitama said over his shoulder.

The girl glanced from him to Genos, who simply nodded. "I'm sorry, Genos-san."

"It does not hurt, Noriko-san. I was more worried about you. Are you alright now?"

"Y-yes. I think so." She was surprised when he took her hand in his and walked alongside him with her head bowed. _If he was a normal person, he would be dead. I was so bloodthirsty. I can't let that happen again. I need to be more careful next time. I can't let my anger be prompted so easily._


	6. Chapter 6

Noriko had been in a deep sleep and was woken by the loud sound of purring. _Wait…that's me._ Along with this realization came the sensation of one of her cat ears being rubbed. Her purring came to a stop and she half-opened her eyes. Instantly, her face turned red and she grimaced. "Saitama-san…what are you doing?"

He had started by just sitting next to her and curiously reaching over to touch one of her ears. When she started purring, he began rubbing her ear absently while watching the news. She had moved in her sleep and her upper half was draped across his lap now. Looking down at her with his usual dopey smile, he saw her blushing. "I don't know. I just wanted to see if you can control it."

"Hn…" She stretched her legs a little and prepared to get up, but he shifted his attention to her other feline ear. _Maybe I can stay like this a little longer. It's not hurting anyone._ Her eyes closed once more and she yawned. "Any news on Koneko?"

"Nothing. Are you sure she's that evil? What does she even do?"

It felt relieving to purr. Like letting loose a yawn that you held in for a while. The position she was in, however, was starting to give her anxiety. "Koneko targets men exclusively and rips them apart with her claws…and eats whatever's left over," she replied, interrupting her own purring. Noriko felt his other hand at the side of her ribs and tensed. "Saitama-san…?"

"She sounds pretty bad." He was watching her fidget, her upper half still across his lap. Her tank top had ridden up in her sleep, exposing her pale stomach, and that was what he was staring at now. Cautiously, he shifted his hand to her ribs.

Her tail began to twitch in irritation. " _Don't_."

"What?"

"I'm _warning_ you…"

"What?" he repeated. The second he touched her bare stomach, she latched her sharp fangs into his wrist and drew blood. Saitama recoiled with a wince. "I didn't think you would actually _do_ it! That really stings!"

"What happened?!" Genos appeared in the doorway and, seeing the position his companions were in, frowned. "Master Saitama, what happened?"

Noriko pushed herself to sit up and let her long purple hair hang over her face to hide her fierce expression. _I warned him! I hate having my stomach touched; just like any normal cat._ She straightened her tank top and rummaged around in her bag for a clean pair of shorts. Without a word to either of her roommates, Noriko left the apartment. Astonishingly, neither of them followed her. _They probably think it's safe since everyone thinks I'm dating Genos-san. And about that…it's not like I agreed to it._ Her cheeks turned pink at the thought of him and she slouched as she walked. _Where am I even going?_

The catgirl wandered around town for a while until she found herself in front of the convenience store. Deciding to get breakfast there, having left without eating, she stepped inside. The air conditioning was on high and made her shiver immediately. The clerk did a double-take when he saw her ears and tail, color rushing to his face. She sighed and did her best to ignore him and the other people in the store. _What should I eat though? I need to get something or I'll just look shady at this point. Maybe some bread? Something sweet._ Noriko grabbed a can of juice and some bread before going to the counter and trying to ignore the clerk's blush.

"Y-you're Samurai Catgirl, right? What are you doing in City Z?"

"…hunting…" She set the money down without another word and turned to leave.

"Wait! Uh…c-can I get your autograph?"

Her tail swayed back and forth quickly in annoyance, but she obliged. She signed the receipt with a tiny drawing of a cat next to her name and left the store. _Okay, so now what? I don't want to go back to the apartment yet._ Noriko looked across the street and tilted her head. Her mouth twisted into a half-grin and she felt her tail twitching slightly. Walking carefully, she followed the figure in black. He looked different in casual clothes, but she was still able to recognize him easily. _Sonic. Does he know I'm following him? He's a ninja. He must know, right?_ Not entirely sure why she was doing this, she continued to stalk him down the street.

He seemed to just be wandering almost, his hands shoved into his pockets and moving at a steady pace. It made her wonder if he might be following someone as well. When he stopped at a street corner to glance over his shoulder, she darted into the shadows of an alley. Sonic seemed to shrug it off and continue on his way. She stayed in the darkness, pondering what to do next. She was beginning to feel creepy. A chill ran down her spine and Noriko sensed a presence behind her.

The girl nearly fell in her haste to get back to the street. She knew it would safer there, but at the same time she was reluctant to lead him out there. _If we fight, I'll be putting everyone around me in danger!_ The second the sunlight hit her, she turned and hurled her bag at his face. The plastic bag was sliced in half, the can of juice and bread falling pathetically to the concrete, and she cursed herself for not running. _Well if I can at least end this quickly, no one should get hurt! Right?!_ She unsheathed her swords and braced herself for an attack.

The man was holding a blade, but did not appear ready to fight her. Instead, he was wearing a frown. "You threw a bag at me."

"I-I don't want to fight right now," she stated, already aware of the citizens staring at them. People were actually beginning to crowd around the two, gawking at the catgirl and ninja. _Are they stupid?! If they just stand around, they'll definitely get hurt!_

"I don't feel like fighting you today." His blade was swiftly sheathed and he raised an eyebrow. "Put those away before I change my mind." She obliged and frowned. "You're alone today?"

Noriko's eyes narrowed. Reaching down, she gathered the wrapped bread and juice can before turning away from him. _I can't get involved with him! I need to just get away from him before he does something like last time. It would just complicate things and I don't need any more distractions._ She started to walk away, but could hear his quick footsteps as he moved to follow her. She began to growl lowly at the back of her throat and started to lead him into an area she knew was less populated. "What do you want?" she demanded, finally turning toward him.

Sonic grinned evilly. "For two weeks, I've been waiting for this opportunity." The sight of her face turning bright pink was even more satisfying than he had imagined. He had spent the past two weeks away from City Z on work, but the girl had been on his mind since the day he met her. Even if he could not use her to hurt Saitama, she was still valuable. His eyes shifted to the swords sheathed on her back and then to the girl herself. Today she was wearing a grey tank top and black shorts, her purple feline tail threaded through the back and swaying behind her. He had not expected to run into her today, but was becoming very glad that he had.

She nervously bit her thumbnail, not taking her eyes off of the ninja. "I…don't know what you're expecting." The girl shivered as the wind blew through her long hair and tickled her feline ears. Her gaze moved to the ground and she grimaced. _I'm not fast like Saitama and Genos. Or strong like them. If he attacks, what am I going to do? I should have run back to the apartment so they could at least help me. I shouldn't be alone with him._

"What are you afraid of? You keep shaking," he taunted.

At this, she lifted her head to bare her fangs. He was right in front of her, grinning down at the girl. Noriko moved to take a step back, her heart racing, but her shoulders were grabbed and she was jerked forward. His lips pressed against hers and she froze in place. She tried to think of some way to react. Any proper reaction to being kissed by someone she barely knew. Instead of running away or kneeing him between the legs, she hesitantly put her arms around his neck. His body drew close to hers and she closed her eyes. _He feels…warm. Really warm. But different from how Kenta was. Harder? He isn't chubby like Kenta._

He had not anticipated this reaction from her. What he had expected was that she would run away or try to attack him and then run back to Saitama. Instead, he felt her arms around his neck as she drew him closer. With a smirk, he wrapped an arm around her waist and left no space between their bodies. Her chest was soft, as he had noted last time, but this time she was so close that he could feel her heart racing. Sonic waited a moment before breaking the kiss and looking down at her. She immediately bowed her head in an effort to hide her blush.

Noriko tried to step back, but he held tightly. "Hn. I can't do this." Even as she said this, she knew that walking away would be difficult. The arm around her waist was holding her firmly against him and his free hand moved to force her chin up so she faced him. _He's still grinning like that. It's creepy. So why am I still standing here and why did I put my arms around him? Why are my arms still around him?_ She knew that if Saitama and Genos found out about this that she would never be left alone again. The girl made a second attempt to pull away.

Sonic could feel her trying to break away from him and it only made him more determined to keep her still. "What are you doing?"

"I…I said I can't do this." She tried her best to glare at him, but he made it exceptionally difficult when he leaned back against the outer wall of a building and pulled her to him by her hips. Her face went to the area between his neck and shoulder, warm skin pressing against her cheek. One of his hands was on her upper back now and the other moved to the base of her tail, lightly caressing her lower back and the curve of her bottom. "Ngh…d-damn it! Don't-!"

"Don't what?" His fingers brushed over her backside and her hips snapped forward against his. A quiet groan was forced from him and she yelped, her warm breath fanning over his neck. Her lips traced over his skin and he was sure that she could feel his racing pulse. "What's your name anyway? It isn't Samurai Catgirl."

She closed her eyes, hands pressed against his chest now in what had started out as an attempt to push herself away from him. Instead, she was now marveling over the toned muscle she could feel beneath his shirt and the heat radiating from the young man. "Hn. It's Noriko."

"Noriko." He smirked, but she was unable to see it. Shifting his hold to her hips, he slowly ground himself against her. She bit her lip, fingertips digging into his chest lightly. "You like this, don't you?"

 _Why does it have to be you? I can't do this. I can't get involved with Saitama's enemy and lose focus!_ Opening her mouth wide, Noriko sank her fangs into his neck. It was light, but it gave him enough of a shock that she was able to tear from his hold and sprint away. Though she doubted that she could outrun someone named Speed o' Sound Sonic, he seemed content with letting her leave for the time being. She ran until her lungs hurt and by that point, she was already standing in front of the apartment building.

When she stepped inside, the girl dropped her bread and can of juice in front of Saitama. "Um…sorry about this morning," she muttered. She slouched beside him on the floor, her ears drawn back in guilt and her tail draped limply over her crossed legs.

"Uh…thanks? It's fine though. Genos took care of it." He held up his bandaged wrist and smiled. "Why don't you try doing that to monsters and bad guys? Just tell them to pet your stomach and tear them up," he joked. Saitama looked at the juice can and raised an eyebrow. "What happened to this can? It's all dented. Did you get it from the bargain bin?"

She snickered and shook her head. "Saitama-san…"

"What?" Truthfully, he was just glad to see her smile again. She had left in such a wretched mood that he had been half-afraid that they had lost her. He tore open the bread packaging and ate it without a word, keeping his eyes trained on Noriko. She seemed to be watching the news, but at the same time he could tell that her mind was elsewhere. "Hey. Did something happen again?"

Her smile vanished and she bowed her head to hide her blush. "I don't want to talk about it. I'm sorry, Saitama-san."

His expression was one of disinterest, but when he spoke it became apparent that he did care. "You don't have to keep being formal. Just call me Saitama. Anyway, Genos went out to look for you so he isn't here. If something did happen and it's bothering you, you can tell me."

Noriko felt one of his hands go to her right ear, gently stroking behind it as he had that morning. "…I…ran into _him_ again…"

"That guy that kissed you? What did he do this time?" Saitama asked this as if it was just an annoyance. "If he hurt you or something-"

"Nothing like that. I just…can't afford distractions. Not now. Not when I still need to find Koneko."

He saw the despair in her sharp green eyes and yawned in response. "Don't even think about it. I told you before, you're not killing yourself after she's dead. What would be the point? You're one of a kind, right? The only Samurai Catgirl."

"I-I'm not even that special! Kenta did something to my DNA to give me catlike stuff, but it's not like I'm like you or even Genos!" she protested.

"What do you mean by that? I think you're pretty good."

"You're both really strong and really fast! You both have great abilities! I'm…more or less a normal girl. I'm slow. You or Genos always have to carry me when we go out of City Z because I can't keep up with you. If I was at least half as durable as you…it would at least make up for my lack of speed and strength. All I can do is wield swords and even then, how much help have I been? _You_ always take out the monsters. If not you, then Genos." She slouched again and sighed. Her arms wrapped around herself and she let her nails shallowly sink into her skin. "Saitama…I just wish I could be half as amazing as you."

At this point, he was scratching the back of his neck in puzzlement. "I don't get it. You really feel that way? Why? I'd kill to be part cat. It's pretty cool. And you survived that blast from Genos. No normal girl could do that. Besides, I think you're better the way you are. I mean, if you were stronger or faster, I probably couldn't grab you and throw you at enemies."

"Wait…what?" She was soon distracted as he began to rub behind her feline ear more vigorously. A loud purring was drawn from her and she rubbed her head against his hand out of instinct.

"Good kitty. Seriously though, stop thinking about stuff like that. It doesn't matter. Girls that are too strong aren't that cute. You're fine the way you are. Can I pet your stomach?"

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah. I just want to do it once. Look, I'll put my gloves on and you can bite all you want."


	7. Chapter 7

It was a rainy day in City K and Noriko was cursing herself for agreeing to go with her companions to fight a monster. To begin with, the feline part of her despised being out in the rain. Her ears and tail were getting soaked in the downpour and she just wanted to go home and curl up on the floor in front of a heating vent. The human part of her was what made her stay. _I'm going to prove that I'm strong today! I have to! Not just for them, but for myself!_ She glared up at the monstrous anthropomorphic boar and bared her fangs.

Further away, Genos assessed the situation and tried to decide whether or not he should intervene. Despite lacking tremendous strength and speed, she was dealing serious damage to the monster's body. It was bleeding heavily from multiple slashes that she had made in its sides, face, and gut. With enough time, she could destroy it herself. The monster's eyes were glowing red as it stared down at her, exhaling steam in the cold rain. "Noriko-san, be careful. I know that you are trying to become stronger-"

"Don't. Please. Just let me concentrate. I can do this." Her tail flicked, sending droplets into the monster's eyes, and she rushed forward with both swords ready. Noriko used a large rock as a platform and sent herself flying at the beast's face. Her blades made deep, horrific cuts across his eyes as he opened them and sent blood pouring down his face. The girl's left foot moved to brace against his snout to flip herself backwards and land safely back in the grass. _Alright. He's blinded so now, I should be able to finish him!_ Her green eyes fixed upon a figure in yellow moving quickly toward the monster's back. "Saitama? Wait, what are you-?!"

With one punch through the boar's back, he created a massive hole in its torso. Blood and internal organs splashed forth, spraying Noriko. She instantly began to dry-heave. When she looked up from the grass, she found Saitama looking confused. He started toward her and winced. "Gross. Sorry about that. I didn't know you were that close, Nya-chan."

"I-I'm covered in his innards, Saitama! Why would you…? Did you know I was over here?!"

"Yeah, but I thought you were farther away from him. Sorry." Staring at her for a moment, he soon realized the true reason for her fury. "Oh! That was the last of your clean clothes, wasn't it?" She nodded wordlessly as Genos approached her side. "Sorry. Look, I'll make it up to you."

" _How_?! This…is so gross! I'm covered in _innards_!" To her horror, he crouched down next to the monster and started cutting away at its side. "What are you doing?"

"Free pork."

Livid as she was, Noriko stood still and waited for him to finish before giving him an expectant look. He returned this with a deadpan stare. _We're kind of far from home. He was the one that carried me here._ To her surprise, Genos lifted her in his arms without flinching. As they made their way back to City Z, the rain washed away the worst of the blood and guts, but she still felt disgusting.

The second that they were back in the apartment, she showered and tried to wash away what remained of the mess. She frowned as she scrubbed at her scalp and cat ears to get globs of blood off of them. _I guess it could have been worse. Genos said that if its stomach acid had gotten on me, it could have been really bad. Still…I could have killed that thing myself. I almost had it. Did Saitama just think that I couldn't do it?_ Only when she was satisfied that all of the blood and guts were off of her did she run a bath.

"Hey. Do you need anything?"

"…I don't have any clothes now…" she murmured, glaring at the door halfheartedly. For the past four days, she and her roommates had been going out to fight monsters and bad guys almost nonstop. Every time, she seemed to attract the worst of the mess and went through each article of her clothing until it came down to her last outfit.

"You still have bras and stuff, right?"

Her face turned red at the thought of fighting monsters in that state. "I-I'm not-!"

"I mean, you could just put on some clean ones when you're done." There was a rustling sound of cloth and Saitama tapped the door. "I'm going out for a while. I'll get you something to wear so just put on the shirt I left outside the door."

She waited for his footsteps to fade away before she sank low in the bath. _Damn it. Can I trust him not to bring back something weird? Genos is going with him, right? He won't let him get anything too weird._ Then she heard footsteps approaching the door. Her eyes closed and she released a deep sigh. "Genos…?"

"Do you need anything?"

"Er…no. I just…had hoped that you would have gone with Saitama." Not too keen on having him standing around the door, she finished her bath quickly. Noriko put on the clean pair of black panties and a black bra she had brought in with her, but paused when she realized that she would need to open the door to get whatever Saitama had left for her to wear. She opened the door just a crack and lowered her gaze to the floor. "Hn. Genos, I need-" A sweatshirt was offered to her and she took it, her face turning pink. "Thanks."

"I should have stopped him today. I know that you would have been able to kill the monster yourself, Noriko-san."

Her ears went back and she reluctantly put on Saitama's 'oppai' sweatshirt. It reached the middle of her thigh, baring a decent amount of her pale skin, and she tugged at the hemline before opening the bathroom door. Her tail moved freely behind her, slowly swaying back and forth. "This…feels weird."

Staring down at her, he felt almost awkward. While she actually looked attractive wearing just a hooded sweatshirt, she was wearing Saitama's shirt and it made it incredibly strange for Genos. They had been officially dating for almost a week, but had not so much as kissed since the first time. Of course, he did want to try more. He was just unsure of how to go about it. A piece of advice from Saitama, given one night after Noriko had fallen asleep, drifted into his mind. Moving quickly, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her forward against him.

Her face went from pink to red and she turned her head to the side. "G-Genos…what are you doing?"

"We have not been alone since we began dating." His free hand went beneath her chin, drawing her face forward so that their eyes met. "Do you want to try something new?"

Heart hammering in her chest, she could feel her body growing warmer at his words. Though she had been working at getting over her anxiety, she was still feeling a little nervous. _I have to get over it though. I know it's just Genos and he just wants to do this for the experience. And at least nothing horrible can happen...right? I can't get involved with Sonic because I know it would ruin everything that I have now. Everything that I'm working toward._ Her arms shakily moved to wrap around his neck and she licked her lips nervously. "Wh-what did you have in mind?"

He lifted her and felt her legs instinctively wrap around his waist. Her chest pressed against his as she hung onto him tightly, afraid of being dropped. The blonde could feel her body heat now and it seemed to urge him on. He put her back against the opposite wall and decided to start where they had left off nearly a week ago. Her lips felt soft against his when he kissed her. She cautiously shifted a hand up from the back of his neck and into his hair, trailing her fingertips through it.

 _It's…soft. Like normal human hair. And he usually feels cool, but today he feels warmer. Like a human._ Noriko deepened the kiss, her fangs lightly scraping over his lower lip. She felt one of his hands on her lower thigh, metal fingertips trailing gently over her pale skin. Genos gradually let his hand wander further along her leg and then up along her bottom. The girl broke the kiss, a soft gasp leaving her as her hips pressed forward against his. "C-careful…"

"I will be gentle." He moved both hands to the edge of the sweatshirt and carefully drew it off of her. The girl's torso bore a number of faded scars, which he noted as he leaned back to look at Noriko. She was still blushing, but at least looking back at him now.

When his eyes seemed to focus on one particular scar, her body tensed. It was an old scar that ran across her stomach and was incredibly faded. Fighting every instinct to try to bite him, she let him trace along the scar with a slightly chilled metal hand. "Genos…" A very quiet purr issued forth from her and she half-closed her eyes. _Why does it feel good when he pets me there, but not when Saitama does it?_

His hand moved a little lower and he hesitated. Saitama had told him about the occurrence a few days past. He knew that she had encountered him again. The man who had pushed her against a wall and kissed her. The man whose name she refused to divulge to Genos. The man that he wanted to destroy. Thinking about this brought forth anger and a pang of jealousy because it forced him to imagine what might have transpired this time. Genos knew that his eyes were narrowing as he let himself grind against her. Noriko's legs tightened around him and the sensation made him grind harder.

She had seen his eyes narrow and was momentarily puzzled, but understood it as a look of lust when he started to move his hips against hers. Biting her lip to suppress a moan, Noriko felt her body growing warm with her own lust. Her panties were becoming wet, much to her embarrassment, and she hoped that it would go unnoticed. When he wrapped both arms around and started to move away from the wall, she clung tightly to him. She was quiet as he carried her into the main room, basking in the warmth that radiated from his metal body.

Genos put her on her back on the floor, in the area where she usually slept. Her green eyes showed nervousness as she looked up at him. Seeing her sprawled beneath him, her violet hair still slightly wet from her bath and smelling of soap, made his mechanical heart beat faster. It had been a difficult three weeks. He had never really lived in such close quarters with a girl his age. She was frequently on his mind and it had been perplexing for the first two weeks, but when they kissed, everything started to change. Going with what he felt she would like, he let one hand wander up along her thigh. Her back arched, pushing her body against his. "Tell me if you want me to stop."

Noriko's eyes closed as his fingers trailed up her inner thigh and paused at the divider of her panties. "A-are you…sure you want to do this?"

"Do you want me to?" There was a note of concern in his voice, his eyes locked on her face for signs of discomfort.

Her body felt like it was on fire and the simple sensation of his fingertips on her thigh had made her grow even wetter. It was becoming nearly unbearable. A nod from her was all that he needed and once he had it, his fingertips worked their way beneath her panties. The metal felt cold against her skin at first, but it seemed to warm quickly. He lingered at her lower lips for a moment, seeming to gage her reaction. When he was sure that she was alright, he pressed a fingertip into her opening. She had to fight the urge to push her hips forward. _This…why does this feel so good?_ Her hands went to his shoulders, gripping tightly. "Genos…"

"Does it feel good? You were getting wet earlier. I can tell." His gaze was burning with desire, feeling his own urges arise. What he wanted now, more than anything, was to enter her with more than just his fingers. He could feel the heat from her skin and from within her. When he pushed his finger in deeper, down to the knuckle, she bucked her hips in response. Genos braced himself over her to keep from crushing the catgirl and drew his lips close to her ear. "I want you to tell me what you feel right now."

Her face was burning from the way she blushed and she turned her face to the side. "I-it feels…really good…" She felt him draw out a little and push two fingers into her now. Shuddering with pleasure, she bit her lip. "I've never…felt like this before."

His free hand moved through her long violet hair, smoothing it away from her face. "I am glad to hear that. Only I can make you feel this way, Noriko-san. I can feel you growing warmer. I want to do something different now."

"Wh-what? Um…aaaah!" Noriko threw her head back as he drew his fingers almost all the way out of her and then drove them back in, hard. "Ngh! Aaaah! Genos, I-!"

"You need to be quiet or someone will hear you." His hand left her hair and went to her chin, pulling her face toward his. At the same time, he started to thrust his fingers into her harder and faster, settling into a rhythm that she seemed to react well to. His mouth covered hers as he continued, enjoying the feeling of her warm, wet opening.

Noriko put her arms around his neck, her body beginning to shake. His fingertips were striking a certain spot within her that made her pleasure increase intensely. He was stretching her opening, filling it with a part of himself, and that thought alone nearly threw her over the edge. She was becoming unbearably warm and found herself thrusting her hips to meet his fingers each time he pushed back in. When her climax finally hit, she dug her sharp fingernails into his metal shoulders. Her muscles began to spasm around his fingers and a moan left her that he was barely able to muffle. He slowly extracted himself from within her, fingers soaked in her juices. She knew that they should separate, but feeling him so close to her was not something she was ready to give up. Clinging tightly to Genos, she broke the kiss. "Th-thank you."

"It was something that I wanted to try. I am glad that you enjoyed yourself, Noriko-san. The sounds that you made just now-" He frowned when she growled lowly. "I will be thinking about this later when I am alone. Master Saitama will be back soon."

"Am I…the only one you think of when you're alone, Genos?"

He sat back, letting her sit up. "I think of different women, depending on how I feel. I do think about you though." The cyborg stood and went to get Saitama's sweatshirt.

Noriko put on the shirt and walked to the restroom to be alone. _He's just…brutally honest. I know he didn't mean for it to sound hurtful._ Sitting on the floor, her legs drawn to her chest, she tried not to think about what he had said. Instead, she shifted her focus to the positive side of what they had done. _It felt really good. I've never felt like that before._ Kenta had done things to her, but never in this way. She had been his dress-up doll. Something to hug and kiss and pretend to have a relationship with. He had intended for them to have sex, but when he started to think about all of the possibilities, he had become distracted. _I'm glad that my first experience was with Genos._ A knock at the bathroom door made her jump.

"Hey, I got you some stuff to wear. Can I see you in that sweatshirt?" Saitama's voice called to her.


	8. Chapter 8

"Is that Samurai Catgirl? What's she doing _here_?"

"Does that mean that Loli Catgirl is here, too? They're sisters, right?"

"Yeah, but it's not like they fight _together_. Loli Catgirl always shows up first and then Samurai Catgirl appears." The three young men were watching her from around a corner in the convenience store. Their voices were lowered to just above whispering, but it was still pretty obvious that they were talking about her.

As the men watched, her feline ears drew back and her tail swayed from side to side. "Shit! I thought her ears and tail were fake!" one of them exclaimed, jumping back a little.

"No way! She's really part cat! The rumor is that she was altered by some scientist that kidnapped her when she was in middle school!"

"Damn!" There was a pause now. "Did he make her look like that too?"

"No, her body just matured that way. She's got a pretty big chest though. It looks soft, right? You think she'd let one of us get a picture hugging her so we could feel?"

The third one snorted. "Yeah, _right_! She doesn't like getting close to people!"

"So why is she dating that cyborg hero?"

Standing a few aisles over, he had been only half-listening to their conversation. He had come to the store on a whim and when he saw her there, he decided to wait to make his presence known. Besides, he might need to leave quickly. His grey eyes lifted to fix upon the three men and narrowed into a glare. _What did they just say?_

"I wonder if he's getting any?"

"What? A cyborg and a catgirl? Do you even know how weird of a pairing that is?! He probably can't even do anything with her."

"I'm going for it."

"Wait, what?!"

Stepping out of the aisle he was in, he moved closer to where the other men were congregated. One of them was now approaching Noriko and was talking to her, rubbing the back of his head. Sonic stopped a short distance from the men, pretending to look at something on the shelf. Apparently, Noriko had rejected the man because he was now speaking to her in a way that made the ninja scowl. _Why doesn't she do something? She has her swords with her._ He shook his head and turned to walk away, intending to leave her to her own devices. _If she's really in danger, she'll do something. She can't be stupid enough to…_

"S-stop! I'm serious! Don't touch me!" she snarled.

"Come on! Like that creepy robot boyfriend of yours can give you any! I bet you've been wanting this for a while!"

Sonic looked over his shoulder and saw that the man's two friends were now grabbing the girl by the arms. He sighed in irritation and turned once more, this time moving around the corner to approach the group. "You must be pretty big losers to gang up on a girl like this."

Noriko's green eyes went wide when she saw Sonic appear around the corner. He was dressed casually again, but had a blade sheathed on his back. What really caught her eye, though, was the venomous sheen in his stare. "S-Sonic…"

"Wait your turn, man! We saw her first!" The man gripping her right arm put his free arm around her neck and squeezed. "If you're lucky, we'll-!"

"Look, I don't care what you're about to say. What I really care about is that you're touching someone that doesn't belong to you. She told you not to touch her. Didn't you think maybe that was a warning?" Sonic reached to his blade with one hand, the other clenching into a fist. "So, unless you want to die an even more painful death than the one I'm already imagining, you should let go of her and step away."

"Wh-what are you saying?! You're going to kill us anyway?" the man on Noriko's left demanded. "You can't do that!"

"Th-that's right! She's a _hero_! She'll have to protect us from you!"

The ninja tilted his head and let himself grin. "You want this to be more painful for you? Fine. I can manage that." The first man to fall did so his guts spilling forth from a large slash across his lower abdomen. The second man's jugular vein was sliced open to let him bleed out upon the floor. He frantically tried to hold his wound closed as tears trailed down his cheeks. The third man was the one attempting to restrain Noriko in a choke hold. He found a blade momentarily buried in the back of his skull before it stabbed deep into his spine and finally slashed across both of his wrists.

Noriko stood frozen in place, staring down at the bodies in horror. They were still alive, but barely, with the life quickly leaving them. She did not move until her hand was taken by Sonic and he pulled her out of the convenience store. "You…you _killed_ them."

"Do you even know what they were going to do to you? Consider yourself lucky that I helped you. Why didn't you kill them yourself? And why are you wearing _that_?" He considered her outfit with a look of confusion. The girl was wearing a short green skirt and a blue t-shirt with a cartoon dinosaur on it along with her usual pair of battered sneakers.

"Hn….Saitama sort of…ruined the rest of my clothes."

Immediately, he imagined the worst possible scenarios and his expression turned to one of disgust. "And you didn't kill them _why_?"

 **Shift P.O.V**

She had gone to the store on an errand for Saitama, not expecting to be harassed by citizens or to run into Sonic. The clothes that Saitama had brought her were all a little embarrassing, but this had been the least humiliating to wear in public. "I-I'm a _hero_. Honestly…I should have protected them from you." Her tail drooped a little, disappointed in herself. _Even if they did harass me, I should have done something to stop Sonic from killing them. They probably had families._ Noriko became aware that he was pulling her along now and frowned. "Wh-where are we going?"

"You do realize that you owe me now, don't you? I never work like that for free."

Her heart started to race and she gave her hand a light tug. His grip tightened like a vice in response. _I can't be alone with him! Every time I'm around him, I can feel myself losing a little bit of control and giving in to him! I can't! I need to stay focused! I need to-!_ Noriko's eyes settled on the big, empty building where he was leading her. "S-Sonic…?"

He spared her a glance over his shoulder, but only a brief one. This could go one of two ways. The first option was that she could fight him, which he would rather enjoy. The second option was that she could do what she always seemed to do; seduce him. Every time he saw her, it ignited a certain spark within him and he started to lose his focus. This had started out as a ploy to get Saitama's attention, but it was quickly becoming more than that. "So why are you a hero? Are you just doing it for fun like Saitama?"

"No." Noriko bowed her head, one fang digging into her bottom lip. "I'm…I'm a hero so that I can kill my younger sister. That's my reason."

Sonic had been expecting a much sappier answer and was pleasantly surprised by the reason she gave. "Couldn't you kill her without being a hero?"

"No one would question me. She hurts men so…if I'm a hero, I can stop her and no one will wonder why. No one will need to know the truth. That I'm not doing it to help them. I'm doing it because I want her to die." She walked with him into the building and he released her hand. The inside of the building seemed to be an old office with lots of desks and chairs, but it was all covered in dust as though no one had been there in years. "Sonic…why are we here?"

He crossed his arms, standing directly in front of her. "I said that you owe me now. Before we get to how you can repay me, let's talk about the cyborg. I heard that you're dating him. Since when?"

She took a cautious step back, but she knew that outrunning him now would be impossible. Unlike last time, he was completely fixated on getting something from her. "Hn…it's been about…two weeks?"

"When were you planning to tell me?" To his irritation, she lowered her gaze to the floor. He took quick steps toward her and she backed up until she hit a desk's hard edge. Taking her chin in his hand, he forced her to look up and into his eyes. "Were you going to tell me?"

"I-I don't…even know how serious it is! And it's…not as if you and I are…"

"Are _what_?"

"I can't! I can't get involved with you! I shouldn't be here right now!" She winced when his free hand braced against the wooden desk, inches from her left thigh. "…don't…"

Sonic tilted his head and a grin grew on his face. "You look scared. Am I scaring you?" He leaned in closer to her, making her bend back so she was almost on the desk's surface. Despite the anxious way she looked at him, her face turned pink and her body radiated warmth that he could feel through both of their clothes. "So how serious are you about him?"

Thinking about Genos was not something that she wanted to do. Their relationship was still very strange to her. Over the past week, he would occasionally kiss her, but that was all. Even then, it seemed as if he always waited for Saitama to be out of their line of sight. In addition to this, she knew that he still thought about other girls when he was alone. _Wouldn't most people call it being friends with benefits? It's not like I'm okay with it though. It was Saitama's idea for us to date._ Noriko tried to look away, but Sonic gripped tighter until she faced him again. "I-I don't know," she answered with honesty.

His hips pressed forward against her, pinning the girl in place. "You really don't know? So why are you bothering with him?" She was beginning to tremble and her tail twitched, brushing against his leg. "You should stop wasting your time with them. You should become an assassin. Live by your own rules and reap the rewards."

"…I'm a hero for a reason…"

"You can still kill your sister if you're an assassin."

Though she knew he was right, she simply could not agree. "E-even if what you're saying is true…I can't just stop being a hero. This started because I wanted to kill Koneko, but…it's become about more than that. I help people now and-"

"Stop. I honestly don't care. You can say 'no' now, but I'm sure you'll change your mind. You'll see things my way and realize how much better it is to work without boundaries set by some association. Now, if I remember right, you still owe me something for saving you. I'll give you a choice; fight me or repay me in another way."

The girl's eyes went to the light scar on his neck from where she had bitten him during their last encounter. The sight of it seemed to ignite something in her and she leaned forward so her lips brushed over the scar lightly. "If I fight you…I won't hold back."

"That's what I was hoping to hear." He leapt back and away from her, brandishing his blade. Though he knew he had a huge advantage over her, he still had high hopes for this fight. He would slow his pace so she could keep up unless it became a life-threatening situation, which he highly doubted that it would. After all, he had no desire to kill her. This was simply for fun. His grin began to form as Noriko unsheathed her blades and took a fighting stance. "So do you go all out for _them_?"

"It…shouldn't matter, should it?" Her tail waved back and forth slowly as she watched him. She was trying to determine what move he might make, but he was standing in place and watching her the same way. _I need to make the first move. Fine._ Noriko rushed forward and struck with both swords as if to slice him in half.

Sonic caught one of her swords, parrying it with his own blade, and twisted away from the other. She grimaced and moved back, her ears perked forward with alertness. "You still look scared. What do you think I'm going to do to you?"

Noriko ducked and rolled to avoid a half-dozen shuriken flying at her. The girl's upper arm was nicked, a shallow slice opening and bleeding slightly. She ignored the pain, setting her sights on him as she contemplated her next attack. _Alright. I don't want to use electricity when I attack. He's human. Not like Genos. If I hit him with an electrically-charged sword, it could really hurt him._ Her eyes narrowed as he rushed her, bringing her swords up to block an attack from his blade. The two moved along a wall of the large room, avoiding the office furniture that had been left when the building was abandoned. She frowned, realizing very quickly that he was holding back quite a bit. _He doesn't want to hurt me either. So what's the point of this fight?_

They reached the end of the wall and clashed blades once more before they both jumped back, separating. He had noticed the wound on her arm, but it was quickly pushed to the back of his mind as their fight continued. His grin grew, seeing her glare at him. Even if she was unable to match his speed, she was still proving an adequate sparring partner. She was able to dodge most of his attacks, taking only light damage, and had even managed to open a cut across the front of his thigh. "You should really rethink your choices. You can do so much better."

She bared her fangs and stepped onto a desk, using it to jump and attack from the air. Though it gave her a very slight advantage, it was just enough to help her. "Stop… _grinning_ like that!" Noriko's legs wrapped around his waist and she crossed her swords against his throat.

Sonic's eyes widened marginally in surprise and he stumbled back against a desk. Her hips thrust forward against his with as much force as she could manage and he fell onto his back. He could feel her inadvertently rub against his groin through his pants and suddenly remembered that she was wearing a skirt. This thought, in turn, drove him to set his blade aside. "Fine. You win."

"I win?" she repeated. Strands of her long violet hair fell over her pale face and she smirked down at him. Her swords were soon sheathed and set aside, her green eyes full of satisfaction. "Say it again, Sonic."

"You win." His hands moved to her waist, an evil grin spreading across his face. "But I've also won." The man's hips ground up against hers and he saw her face turn red. "Was this your plan all along?"

"N-no. Hn…you shouldn't-" A quiet yelp escaped her as he pulled her down so her lips met his. One hand pressed against her back to hold her in place while his other hand threaded into her hair. She growled into the kiss, but pushed her hips closer to his. _Does he think about me when we're not together? Does he think about other women when he's alone? Or am I the only one?_


	9. Chapter 9

Noriko was not completely ignorant when it came to adult relationships. After all, she had been altered by someone that was not only a creep, but was also a creep that was trying to make her into his dream girl. This being the case, she had seen several videos and magazines containing sexual content. _So I know what this is, but…it's still strange to be in this situation_ , she thought as she stared up into Sonic's eyes. With a faint smirk, determined to not show her nervousness, she gave his member a lick from the base to the head. He was leaning back against the desk's edge and tensed at the action. Her fingertips dug in ever so slightly as she repeated the action.

His hips bucked forward and he clenched his eyes shut. Things had escalated quickly, but due to his own actions. He had started this. Feeling her lips wrap around the head, he released a low groan of pleasure. His fingers wove into her long violet hair and he resisted the urge to start thrusting. Her tongue traced along the bottom of his member as she took more of him in and then pulled back. Sonic gritted his teeth as she fell into a rhythm and let his hips push forward a little. He was doing his best to be careful, not wanting to hurt her.

She felt a certain rush of satisfaction when she saw his reactions. Having never actually done this before and working completely from memory, she felt that she was doing a decent job. When he abruptly pushed her away, Noriko frowned and felt tears form at the corners of her eyes. The push had sent her sprawling on her back on the hard floor. _Did I do something wrong? I thought I was…wait. Why is he looking at me like that?_

The man's breathing was ragged and he was grinning down at her in an unsettling sort of way. "I can't take any more teasing." He moved to his knees and reached beneath the hem of her skirt, fingers hooking into her panties. "We're doing this. I'm not letting you get away this time."

"Wh-what? Last time…?" She interrupted herself with a quiet yelp as he drew her panties off of her. _This is happening. This is really happening. I've only ever used toys before, when Kenta made me do it. And now…I'm about to do this with Sonic. I told myself I wouldn't get involved with him, but every time I'm around him I lose focus!_

He stared down at her shirt for a moment and scowled. "Can you take that off? It's distracting."

"…my dinosaur t-shirt is distracting…?" she teased. Noriko removed it, but did so slowly. _I know I'm acting sort of confident, but on the inside I'm absolutely terrified. I've never really done this before. I've seen it a lot of times. Kenta used to watch videos like this every day. I don't know how those girls could do it so many times with different guys._ Her face red, she met Sonic's gaze once more. "Just…be careful, please."

One arm went behind her head to cushion it and the other moved to line himself up with her opening. He was careful not to put all of his weight on her, not sure how strong she really was. "I can't make any promises." The man moved the head of his cock along her wet lower lips, collecting moisture so it would go in easier. When he pushed in, it was hard and he immediately went in to the base of his member.

Her hips bucked forward, her eyes closing tightly. "S-Sonic!" When she had been sucking on him, she had been so focused on doing it correctly that she hardly noticed the length or width. Now she could feel every inch as it filled her, stretching her opening. He drew his hips back a little, a wet sound emitting from where they joined, and pushed back in roughly. Her head threw back, still cushioned by his arm to prevent her from hurting herself. His free hand moved along her side and pushed beneath her bra, cupping her breast. Her back arched in response as he continued to thrust into her, a warmth growing in her lower half and spreading throughout her.

"Say my name again." Sonic's eyes closed as well and he reveled in the warm wetness of her opening. The muscles were clenching him tightly already and he could tell that he was her first. It gave him a sense of satisfaction that he doubted could be rivaled by much else. His fingers brushed over her nipple and she moaned loudly. He took it between his fingers and tugged gently, his focus being divided now. Her hips were thrusting up to meet him each time he drove into her.

"Sonic…" Noriko felt his mouth on the side of her neck, teeth nipping gently at her pale skin as she writhed beneath him. The pleasure was building to intense proportions and she could feel herself growing wetter with each time he pushed back into her. The girl's arms went around him, fingernails digging into his upper back as her first climax hit. Her muscles clenched tightly around his cock and coated him further. Clinging to him, her breathing became hard and she pressed kisses along his neck.

His hips moved faster against hers, seeking his own climax. When he felt her orgasm, it pushed him closer to the edge, but not quite enough. His hand kneaded her breast now, feeling her nipple rub against his palm as he did so. She was so wet that it was beginning to pool beneath her on the floor. With a growl, he stood and lifted her with him, not pulling out of Noriko.

Her back hit the surface of one of the desks and he stood between her spread legs, hammering his hips into hers. She had been withholding any sounds that wanted to leave her, but now she was moaning and desperately grasping for him. One of his hands caught her wrists and pinned them over her head, a wicked smirk growing on his face. "S-Sonic…please…"

"Not yet. I want to see the faces you make." The grip on her wrists tightened and he saw her wince. "Do you get wet like this for the cyborg or just me?"

She looked away from him, her face bright red. "I-it's not…"

"Not _what_?" He punctuated the word with a particularly hard thrust into her. The girl's head was thrown back, a moan leaving her that seemed to echo in the abandoned building. "There is it. I bet he can't make you feel like this, can he?"

Noriko bit her lower lip, eyes closing. _Genos only seems to want to be around me for the experience. We only did something like this once and it was just so he could have the experience. What am I to him?_ Sonic hit the same point within her and made her cry out sharply in pleasure. It was beginning to grow once more, making her body feel unbearably hot. With each thrust of his hips, the head of his cock drove deeper into her and as the pleasure grew, she could feel his hold tightening on her wrists. When her second climax hit, it was like a warm wave washing over her body. She shuddered beneath him, muscles clenching his member as if reluctant to let him leave her.

Sonic tensed as pleasure rippled through his body. The sound that left his mouth sounded more like a cry than a groan, but she seemed to not notice. Releasing her wrists, he finally let her throw her arms around him. Their lips met in a fiery kiss that reflected their lust and the bond they now shared. He was reluctant to pull away. Even more reluctant to leave the warmth of her opening. As he pulled out, he saw his seed pool on the desk beneath her. He stepped away from her and saw her blushing. It made him smirk. "I'm your first, aren't I? Does that make me yours?" he taunted.

"I…I marked you, didn't I?" Her feline ears perked forward and she glanced down at the juices pooling on the desk between her legs. She was breathing hard and hated that she was still blushing so much. _After everything…and I still embarrass this easily?_ The girl cleaned herself as best she could while he zipped up his pants. "I-I need to go back now. Before they start looking for me."

He leaned back against a different desk and tilted his head. "Why do you need to go back to them? Didn't you hear what I said before? Being an assassin is better."

"I'm not giving up being a hero." Noriko tried to say this firmly, but somewhere at the back of her mind she was wondering if he might be right. _But I can't change! I don't want to! I'm a hero so that I can help people! Even Koneko._ She straightened her clothes and pulled her panties back on, not about to risk walking back without them. The girl settled her swords on her back and strode to the door that they had come in through. He was right behind her, but made no move to stop her.

The two walked side by side down the road, one with their head bowed and the other smirking in satisfaction. "Don't think that this is over, Noriko. I'll change your mind," he stated. "I doubt you'll want to stay with them much longer anyway."

She scowled and bit at her thumbnail with a fang. "Saitama and Genos are my friends. I won't abandon them."

"Not even for _me_?" He turned toward her and raised an eyebrow. "I'm your first. And didn't you say that I'm _yours_? Why would you want to stay with them?"

Her ears went back, tail flicking from side to side in agitation. "Th-that was-!"

"Look at what you did to me." Sonic tugged at his neckline to display the scar left by her bite. He was surprised when he stepped toward him, green eyes narrowed. "What?"

"Do you…think about me when we're apart?"

The question threw him off a little. He had almost been expecting her to threaten him. "Yeah. What does it matter?" She grabbed the front of his shirt, dragging him down so his face was close to hers.

"And…do you think about _just_ me? Or do you think about other women?"

His smirk returned and he leaned in closer. "Just you." He kissed her and felt her kissing back, drawing her body against his. The answer had been truthful and had actually surprised him a little. When they were apart, she did tend to cross his mind. When he was alone at night, he thought of her and it always sparked something within him. Breaking the kiss, he pulled back and turned to walk away.

Noriko stood for a moment, watching him leave. _Why can't I just hate him? Why does he have this effect on me?_ She walked to a convenience store, a different one than before, and finally completed the errand that Saitama had sent her on. People gave her strange looks in the store, but she shrugged them off as being the typical curious stares that people tended to give Samurai Catgirl. Her face started to turn red on the walk home, thinking back on what had transpired between her and Sonic. _No one can know what happened. I remember the way Genos reacted when I said that I had been kissed by someone._

When she arrived back at the apartment, she found Saitama sitting alone on the floor with a manga. "Um…sorry it took so long."

He lifted his gaze from the manga and he gave her a strange look. "Nya-chan? You're okay? I saw the news."

"What?" She offered the bag of snacks to him and he took them with a smile.

"The news. Here, look." He turned on the television and, sure enough, they were still discussing it.

"Samurai Catgirl, who has recently taken up residence in City Z, appears to have been _kidnapped_. Here in this artist's rendition of the incident, we can see her talking with some fans in the snack section of a convenience store. Suddenly a man with a katana appeared, killed her fans, and can be seen dragging her out of the store. It is believed that this man is armed and dangerous. His motives for kidnapping Samurai Catgirl are not yet known, but a ransom is expected. If you see this man, do _not_ approach him," the news anchor rattled off.

Noriko saw the pictures flash on the screen and grimaced. The renditions of herself and Sonic were perfect, but the men who had attacked her were being drawn as weak fans of hers. _That's not the way it happened. Ugh._ Her tail weakly thumped the floor in annoyance.

"So are you okay? Genos wanted to go look for you, but I was pretty sure Sonic wasn't going to kill you. He probably saw you with me and wanted to use you to make me fight him. Man, that guy is annoying." Saitama flopped onto his back on the floor, his attention returning to the manga in his hands. "I think Genos is in the bathroom right now."

She slouched and scratched behind one of her feline ears. _So he does know Sonic then. He never mentioned him before so I almost thought Sonic just…obsessed over him._ The mere thought of Sonic was making her blush and she let her hair fall over her face to hide it. Noriko could feel someone's stare on her and turned to look over her shoulder.

Genos stood in the doorway, taking a moment to simply stare at the catgirl. "Are you alright? I saw on the news and wanted to leave immediately to find you, but Master Saitama said that you would be alright." He seemed to focus now on the cut on her left upper arm. It was oozing blood down the length of her arm. Seeing her lift a hand to bite at her thumbnail, he saw the bruises on her wrist. Without another word, he turned and walked back into the restroom.

"…is he angry…?" she quietly asked Saitama.

He shrugged. "Genos was really worried. He's probably just glad that you're…" Lowering the manga, he stared at her bleeding wound. "Uh, what happened there? Did you _fight_ Sonic?"

"H-how else was I supposed to escape?" she lied. Noriko jumped a little when she saw Genos reappear in the doorway with bandages and a wet cloth. "Er…y-you don't have to…"

"I want to." The blonde sat beside her on the floor and set about cleaning the wound. He was trying to be gentle in wiping dirt away from the cut, but on the inside he felt his anger building. Every time she left on her own, something seemed to happen to her. This was the final straw. He determined that the next time she needed to go somewhere, he would go with her. Even if she wanted to be left alone. He simply could not allow it.

Saitama glanced over casually and then returned to reading. "Hasn't it been a while since you guys went on a date? Go out and do something."

"Right now? Noriko-san just returned from a traumatic event, Master Saitama. Is it wise to go out when he could attempt to kidnap her again?"

Noriko winced as Genos began wrapping the bandage around her upper arm. "I-I'm fine…really…" She attempted to give Genos a pleading look. _Please just listen to me for once. I know you like to do whatever he suggests, but just once please listen. I can't take people staring at me the way they were earlier._

Genos saw the sad look in her eyes and nodded once. "Alright, we will go out for just a short while. Do you need anything while we are gone, Master Saitama?"

The catgirl was about to protest, but was interrupted by her own purring as Genos began to pet behind her right ear. Her tail curled slightly at the end in bliss and she half-closed her eyes. _Is he doing this on purpose? He's never pet me before. I thought that he saw it as degrading._

"Nah, I'm good. You two just have fun on your date; don't worry about me." He gave them a dismissive wave as a means to send them on their way. "Just be careful. There's no telling what Sonic might try."


	10. Chapter 10

Watching television brought no news of Noriko's sister, which made him sort of happy. The thought of her running off to murder her sister and then kill herself was something he wanted to avoid. He was sitting on the floor, trying to decide what to do with his day. Going out to fight monsters and bad guys sounded appealing, but he still had a few days before his deadline. A yawn escaped him and he scratched his stomach, casually following Noriko with his gaze as she crossed the room with a basket of wet clothes. She was wearing a pair of blue shorts and a grey t-shirt that clung to her chest a bit too tightly. "How's the weather?"

"…not bad…" She strung up a clothes line and grimaced when she was unable to reach the securing point. The catgirl stood on the tips of her toes, tail twitching in anxiety. "Hn."

"I can do it for you." Genos crossed the room and went to her aid.

Saitama raised an eyebrow and watched the two interact. _When did they get so close?_ Settling back into watching the news, the thought was beginning to bother him. Since the day Noriko had been kidnapped, Genos seemed to be watching her more closely. He had confided in Saitama that he had been truly worried about the girl, which in turn made Saitama question how he really felt about her. He saw Noriko return to the task of hanging up the laundry and caught the way that Genos looked at the catgirl. _He loves her, doesn't he? When did that happen?_

The cyborg crossed the room again and paused at the apartment door. "I need to go do something. I will be back later."

"Okay, have fun." The door opened and closed, leaving just Saitama and Noriko. Glancing back over at her, he saw her hips swaying in a slow, subconscious sort of way in time to music playing in the next apartment. "So what are you doing after that?"

"…not sure yet…"

"Do you want to go out or something?"

She looked at him over her shoulder, a stray lock of purple hair hanging over one eye. "Saitama. I think…I want to try strength training."

The announcement took him by surprise. Just earlier that morning, he had seen Genos sleeping beside her and putting most of his weight on her. _She's sturdier than she looks and she's already pretty tough. Why would she want to do strength training?_ He located a clean shirt and pulled it on, already wearing sweatpants. "Are you sure? I mean, I'm all for getting stronger, but I'm telling you that you're fine the way you are."

"I just…I don't want a repeat of what happened two days ago."

He would never admit it, but the incident had affected him more than he let on. He had put on a brave act in front of Genos, saying that she would be back soon because she was strong. On the inside, he had panicked and wanted to run out to find her. She had become a fixed point in his life now. A pleasant, fixed point that was constantly in jeopardy of being ripped out of his life. "You really want to get stronger so you can fight Sonic?"

"It's not completely about him…"

 **Shift P.O.V**

She ran alongside him down the streets of City Z, ignoring the way people looked at them. Her eyes were focused on the road ahead of her as she thought about the last two days. Genos had refused to let her out of his sight; insisting on accompanying her whenever she left the apartment. _It's not as if I hate it, but it makes me feel anxious when he does that. I need to show him that I can take care of myself! I need to be able to take down a monster on my own, too! If I fight a bad guy, I can usually take them out without help. It's how I made it to Class A. But he treats me like a Class C hero. No. Not even like a hero; like a regular girl!_

"I think Genos loves you."

The words made her stumble, slamming face-first onto the concrete. Saitama paused in his steps and waited patiently for her to get up, wiping blood from beneath her nose. "Wh-what makes you say that?" she muttered.

The smile he wore was somewhat sheepish. "The way he looks at you. You didn't notice how he watches you?"

"It's just…he's just…I mean, he treats me like a normal girl!" she argued.

"Isn't that good though?"

"I don't know!" Noriko attempted to sprint to get ahead of him, but he easily kept pace with her. "…and anyway…he shouldn't…I'm not a good person…"

The two were approaching the ghost town portion of the city and, though she hesitated at first, she followed him in. "How are you not a good person?" he challenged her.

She bit her lower lip, feline ears drawing back. "I'm selfish. And I get jealous easily. And I mean…I plan to kill Koneko."

"Koneko is supposed to be evil, right? So wouldn't killing her be _good_? And everyone gets jealous. Look at Genos. Every time he thinks about that guy that kissed you, he gets into this weird mood." He saw her brow furrow and sighed. "Okay so what is it? Something's bothering you."

"It's awkward, Saitama."

"I could use a laugh."

She snickered and shook her head. "Genos told me that he thinks about other women…when he's alone. He said that he does think about me, but he thinks about other women, too. I don't know why, but just knowing that…it makes me so _angry_ for some reason."

"Isn't that normal though? Getting mad about that." Saitama slowed and frowned. "We have company."

Noriko tensed and reached to one of her swords. _Is it a monster? A big one?_ The thought made her pulse race. She wanted more than anything to have another chance to prove herself. Standing behind him, she waited for Saitama to elaborate.

"You won't be running away from our fight this time, Saitama!"

The voice was painfully familiar and made her fight back the blush that threatened to take over her face. _What is he doing here?!_ She looked at Sonic from behind her friend, wishing that she could disappear. He was dressed for battle this time.

"Oh, there you are. I was hoping I'd get the chance to get revenge." Saitama smiled, but it was grim sort of smile that sent chills down Noriko's spine.

It was now that she stepped out from behind her friend, brandishing both swords. Her green eyes met Sonic's grey ones and for an instant they shared a look of surprise. Gritting her teeth, the girl forced a deep frown upon her face. "Saitama, maybe we should-"

"Even if you did want to fight, you didn't need to drag _her_ into this. She has nothing to do with it."

Improvising, but slightly confused, Sonic smirked. "Clearly she's important to you. What better tool to draw you out?"

"Of course she's important to me! She means more to me than you could ever understand!"

 _Wait, what?! What is he saying?_ Noriko took a step away from Saitama, her tail curling slightly in confusion. "…Saitama…?"

"What exactly is she to you?" Sonic taunted.

"Nya-chan is my pet cat!"

Noriko began to shake. She covered her mouth with one hand and turned away, trying not to make a sound. _Did he really just say that? What does that even-?_

Sonic, meanwhile, took this a different way. Rather than take it for the way it sounded, he imagined a horrible scenario in which she was sleeping with his enemy. "Are you serious? What kind of messed up relationship do you have?" he asked with a disgusted expression on his face.

Completely oblivious to Noriko's trembling and fight to stay composed, Saitama chose to answer Sonic's question. "Yeah. I pet her ears and she purrs and we watch TV and eat together. Nya-chan is my pet cat." He said all of this in a serious tone, wearing a blank expression until he saw how horrified Sonic appeared. "What?"

The girl crumpled to her knees, still trying to smother the horrific sounds that were threatening to leave her. _Why would you ever say that to someone?! Saitama, what even-?_

The ninja was having an equally difficult time, but for other reasons. He looked at Noriko. She was on the ground, curled up in a ball of what he assumed to be disgust. The girl's presence was proving to be a distraction. He had seen Saitama enter the abandoned area of City Z, but failed to notice Noriko. Seeing her just two days after sleeping with her was drawing too many emotions to the surface. Trying to shake it off, he smirked at the two heroes. "You wanted your revenge? Then bring it on and don't hold back!"

"Huh? I never said anything about revenge."

"Yes you did! You said you wanted revenge just a few minutes ago!" Sonic argued.

"What? I did?" Saitama gave Noriko a questioning look and she nodded without saying a word. "Seriously? Okay, well I guess I could get revenge then. I needed to stop a bad guy today anyway. You're threatening Nya-chan, aren't you?"

Sonic glanced from Saitama to Noriko. His smirk grew. "If she means so much to you, I wonder how you would feel if I just took her from you? I could think of a few uses for her." At this, he saw the girl's face turn red.

She pushed herself to stand and try to observe the fight with a serious expression, but was still recovering from what Saitama had said. _He didn't call me his friend or even his disciple. He called me his pet cat. Like I'm not even human._ Noriko blinked and suddenly Sonic was face-down in a massive crater in the road. She tilted her head, fighting the urge to see if he was alright. _Is that just how Saitama sees me though? As a cat?_

The hero was frowning now as he approached her. "What were we talking about before?"

Slightly impressed with his ability to change mindsets, she started walking back to the apartment with him. "Hn…I think we were talking about Genos."

"Oh, yeah! Just tell him how you feel."

"…right…" Noriko's tail was limp, her head down as she walked. Her right ear twitched as she heard Sonic move and relief washed over her. _He's still alive. Good. But I'm still bothered by what Saitama said. I'm just a pet to him? Really?_

"You still look upset. Is it Sonic? Did you want to fight him?"

"N-no!" She subconsciously reached to her bandaged upper arm, rubbing it. The wound had yet to fully heal and every time she saw it, she remembered her brief fight with the ninja. She had managed to catch him off-guard, but she knew it was only because he refused to put forth all of his effort. "…I just want people to take me seriously…"

He yawned and glanced over his shoulder casually at the empty crater where Sonic had once been. "Is it about what I said to Sonic? It's not completely like that."

Her ears perked forward and her tail lifted a little. "So, what is it like then?" Noriko hated that she was growing hopeful. Anything would be better than being referred to as a pet cat.

"It's complicated, okay? I don't know what our relationship is," he answered truthfully.

Genos was waiting for them at the apartment and immediately took notice of the weird mood they both seemed to be in. "Where did you go?"

"Nya-chan wanted to start strength training so I went with her." Saitama went to the kitchen and kept his back to them as he searched for a snack. "We ran into Sonic."

Noriko crossed the room to check on the laundry, her face pink as she thought of Sonic. _It was weird seeing him so soon after we…did that. Even weirder to see him get batted out of the air like a fly by Saitama._ Though she felt bad for him, she could still see the humor in it. Just two days prior, he had effortlessly killed three men who had accosted her.

The clothes were dry so she started taking them down to fold them, her back to the apartment. She could faintly hear her roommates talking behind her, most of their discussion drowned out by the neighbor's loud music. As she started to contemplate what she would make for dinner, Noriko felt arms wrap around her from behind. A hard, sort of cold body pressed against her back and the girl jumped a little. "Ah…Genos?"

"Master Saitama said that you wanted to talk to me alone. Is everything alright, Noriko-san?" He had been hesitant to ask her. After what had happened the last time she encountered Sonic, he worried about what could have happened this time.

"Hn…s-sort of…um…" She tried to glare at Saitama, but he had left the apartment again. "Genos. I…I know it's selfish, but…I don't like that you think about other women sometimes…and that you tell me about it." Not quite able to believe that she was having this conversation with someone, let alone a cyborg, Noriko started to shake. "I know…it sounds petty and selfish. M-maybe we should-?"

"Noriko-san, I have been meaning to speak to you about that. I wanted to tell you that I have not been thinking about other women lately." He felt her pulse quicken and frowned. "I realized it when you were kidnapped, but the feelings I have for you seem to be getting stronger."

"Genos?" The girl turned her face to look up at him over her shoulder. He stared back at her, eyes narrowed. She had intended to say that they should break up. After everything that had happened between her and Sonic, she knew that she had feelings for the ninja. Even if they could not be together the way that they wanted, Noriko knew that it was wrong to like him. He wanted to hurt Saitama. He was the enemy. Directing her attention back to Genos, she tilted her head. "What are you trying to say?"

"I am trying to say that I love you."

Her heart raced and she twisted to face him. "A-are you…serious?" She saw the corners of his mouth draw upward and she pressed her face against his chest. _I wanted to break up with him. We hardly act like we're even dating. But how can I do that after he says something like this?_ Her arms went around his neck and she let her fingers rest against the cold metal. "Genos…why though? Why would you? I…haven't heard those words in years…not with meaning…" Noriko bit her lip when she felt his hips push against hers. "What are you…?"

"Master Saitama left so that we could talk, but I want to try something new. Do you want to try it?" He lifted her chin so that their eyes met once more. She nodded once, heart skipping a beat when he drew her into the apartment.


	11. Chapter 11

He had no errands to run. No place that he was in a rush to get to. Saitama just wanted to get out of the apartment. He knew what was probably going to happen; Genos would confess to her and Noriko would get all teary-eyed. A sigh left him and he lifted his gaze from the sidewalk. Up ahead was a sizeable group of people gathered around a store window. He made a conscious effort to give them a wide berth, not really caring what they were looking at. It was an electronics store so it was most likely some new phone or television remote.

With his hands in his pockets, he found himself thinking back to the encounter with Sonic. Something had felt a little 'off' about it and the more he thought about it, the more it bothered him. _Was it what I said? I just sort of panicked. It's not like I really lied about it. She's sort of like a pet cat sometimes. And then other times, it's like she's a friend. And then other time, it's like…_ He heard the crowd of people loudly exclaiming over something now. Saitama looked over his shoulder at the group and was tempted to join them. Standing on the sidewalk for a moment, his stomach started to growl. _What should we have dinner? I should probably go back around dinner time so I could pick up some stuff at the store._

"I can't believe they're not showing her! I wanted to see Loli Catgirl!" a man exclaimed.

Saitama was soon standing with the crowd and staring at the television screen on display. It was set to the news and the anchors were talking about the villainous catgirl. _No way! Is this really happening?!_

"It appears that Loli Catgirl, who had been out of the public eye for over a month, has decided to reemerge and begin her rampage again! She was spotted in City K recently and seems to be taking out young men! Her method of killing is…"

He walked away, but stopped a few blocks from the apartment. _Wait. I can't tell her that her sister is on the move again. If Noriko knows that her sister is in City K, she'll want to go there to confront her. What should I do though? She's bound to see it on the news. If I tell her not to watch the news, it's going to look suspicious. But I don't want her to leave. Damn it! What am I going to do?!_

 **Shift P.O.V**

Noriko closed her eyes and one of her fangs sank into her bottom lip. She tensed, feeling a warmth in the pit of her stomach that seemed to radiate along her limbs. When Genos had lowered her to the floor, on her back, she had immediately become nervous. When he wrapped her legs around his waist and got on top of her, the nervousness became panic. Now, she was just amazed that there was no pain. Her fingers ran through his soft blonde hair as his hips ground against hers, one of his hands tentatively moving up her shirt.

The chill of the metal made her shiver and she arched her back. "Wh-what did you want to try, Genos?"

"I want to be sure that you are okay with this first." He pulled away a little, looking down at her for signs of discomfort. When he had discovered that she was quite durable, it had sparked an idea. It was something that he wanted to do, something that he had pondered off and on since they began dating. Of course, he was afraid of hurting her; she seemed to be more or less like a normal human. "Are you okay with this, Noriko-san?"

 _Am I okay with this? It's Genos. And he just told me that he loves me. But…how do I feel about him? And how exactly does he plan to do this?_ Her face turned pink when she felt his fingers ease beneath her bra, touching her breast gently. There was no doubt that she found him attractive and his touch made her heat up almost instantly. "I…I want to do this," she quietly answered.

He moved both hands to her hips and tugged at the waist of her shorts. "Take everything off."

Shifting her gaze away from his face, she moved to obey. When Noriko finished undressing, her face had gone from pink to red. Her feline ears went back, her eyes averted his out of embarrassment as she felt him looking at her. During her encounter with Sonic, she had at least worn her skirt and bra. To be this exposed was something that made her beyond nervous. "Um….a-are you going to-?" She cut herself off with a yelp as her body was flipped over.

"Noriko-san, I want to look away while I get ready. I do not want you to see."

"A-alright." The girl pushed her upper half to lean on her elbows and she frowned, looking down at the floor. She could hear him moving around behind her. _What doesn't he want me to see though? Isn't his body completely metal?_ Noriko jumped a little when she felt a cold metal hand on her hip. His arm eased under her and pulled the girl onto her elbows and knees. She felt chilled fingers press between her legs and she subconsciously spread them further apart.

He could feel the heat radiating from her skin, the dampness growing between her legs. Rubbing his fingers along the soft, warm lips, he felt her body tense in his hold. Her back arched and she dug her nails into the floor, obviously trying to keep herself quiet. "I want to hear the sounds that you make, Noriko. There is no need to hold back," he encouraged her.

She felt his chest press against her back as he continued to rub her warm opening. One finger pushed past her folds and found her clit, rubbing gently. A loud gasp escaped her, followed by a sort of growl that seemed to be a sound of pleasure. "G-Genos! Ngh!" He pressed a little harder, rubbing in circles as her hips began to buck into his hand. His arm stayed securely around her waist, holding her steady as her body started to tremble. Noriko was growing wetter and could feel a ball of tension in her lower half, seeming to tighten more and more until she came undone.

Genos could feel her pulse racing and it, in turn, made his mechanical heart race. She had released a moan when she came and it only served to further drive him toward his goal. He carefully aligned himself, pressing the head of his hard metal member against her warm, wet opening. The girl had nearly collapsed when she climaxed, but now she was tensing again. "You need to relax or this might hurt," he stated, trying to sound comforting.

Noriko did her best to relax her muscles, but found it difficult. _How am I supposed to relax when he does things like this?_ When she had managed to calm down a little, she felt him pushing into her. Though she was unable to see it, she knew that it was metal because it was cold and hard. _He does pleasure himself sometimes so…I guess it makes sense that he has one. Why is it so thick though?_ Her eyes clenched shut as her opening stretched to try to accommodate him. It felt good, but at the same time it made her begin to ache.

It was taking a while to slide into her and his patience was beginning to wear thin. Tightening his hold around her waist, he quickly thrust his hips forward and buried his cock in her. She was much warmer on the inside and slick from her recent climax. It made it easier to pull out a little and thrust back into her. A quiet groan escaped him as he felt her muscles cling to him. Her body seemed to almost burn against his as he plunged deeper into her, filling her completely before leaving her empty and repeating the action. He let some of his weight rest on her. Just his upper half as he knelt behind her and continued to pleasure them both.

Her chest dipped toward the floor for a moment, but his added weight brought her no pain. It still amazed her that she was able to take so much. Every time his cock pushed back into her, she could feel him hitting a spot within her that pushed her closer to her next orgasm. Noriko wanted to see his face. She wanted to hold onto him as he continued to fuck her, but he held her firmly in place. The girl was panting now, interrupted every so often by a soft moan or growl. Her breasts were bouncing every time he thrust into her and it forced her nipples to rub against the floor. It only added to the pleasure building in her lower half. "Aaaaaah! G-Genos!"

His free hand wove into her long violet hair and he pulled her face back so that their eyes finally met. "I never thought that I would have this opportunity. Your expression is making me want to go harder, but I am afraid of hurting you."

"Ngh! J-just…do it! I can handle it!" she replied.

"If you insist." Instantly, his thrusts sped up to an inhuman pace. The force would have hammered her body into the floor if he had not been holding her up. His other hand wandered down from her hip, quickly locating her clit again.

A loud moan tore through her as pleasure flooded her body. She subconsciously started to grind her clit against his fingertips, his name leaving her lips in a gasp. The feeling of him sliding in and out of her had been pleasant, but now the friction was driving her mad. Noriko felt his mouth suddenly at the side of her neck, pressing gentle kisses along her pale skin and feeding the intense pleasure that was burning within her. "Genos~"

"Is there something that you want me to do?" It was asked almost in a taunting sort of way. He circled his fingertips around her clit and heard a soft whimper come from her. The sound seemed to make his lust grow. It was a whimper of desire. Pulling his face away from the side of her neck, he leaned back a little to watch his cock disappear between her wet lower lips. Her feline tail was hanging off to the side, twitching in ecstasy each time he entered her.

"I-I want to…I want to see your face…please!" she begged, nails digging deeper into the floor. Keeping her back to him was becoming unbearable. _It feels amazing, but I want to see him! I want to hold onto him!_

He frowned, but was not about to ruin the mood with a denial. "Close your eyes." When he was sure that her eyes were closed, Genos turned her onto her back and thrust into her again. Being out of her for even those brief seconds seemed to be too much. The speed with which he fucked her had the girl moaning loudly enough that he knew if he made no move to muffle it, the neighbors would interfere. His mouth covered hers and he cupped her right breast gently in his hand. Her back arched, pushing her hips tight against his for a moment.

Noriko's arms quickly wrapped around his neck, her nails scraping along the cold metal. A climax washed over her, warm juices coating his metal cock, and her body went limp in his hold. Their kiss was broken as she lay back on the floor. Her heart was hammering in her chest, panting hard as she came down from the pleasure high. Genos was watching her, still thrusting into the girl fast and rough. Another climax soon followed, her head being thrown back and a cry of ecstasy escaping her. The Noriko's nails scraped harder over the metal of his upper back, leaving shallow scratches in their wake.

Genos wrapped an arm around her waist and angled her hips to push in deeper. Her fangs were bared as she cried out again, this time saying his name. The sound of it, was enough to finish him. When his own orgasm hit, it was hard and left him collapsing on top of her. His hips jerked against hers one final time as he felt her muscles clench tightly around him. Noriko's fingers threaded into his blonde hair, her lips latching onto his. He was more than happy to kiss back, drawing her body tight against his own.

 _Is this what it's supposed to be like? Is this what it's like to have a guy love you?_ When they had started, his metal body had felt cold. Now it was warm, whether heated by her own body or by some other means, she was unsure. All she knew was that it was the most comforting thing she had ever felt.

"Hey, so are you guys done?"

Noriko's face turned red and she buried it in the cyborg's shoulder. For once, he seemed to understand her body language perfectly and shifted so he was sitting up, holding her on his lap. He called back to Saitama that they needed a little more time, but they both knew he was still out there. "I-I'm going to shower…" she muttered, trying to stand. When his cock slid out of her, she had to muffle a gasp at the sudden feeling of emptiness. Before she could even attempt to glance at him, Genos had turned away from her.

Only when she was in the shower, safe from unwanted looks, did she hear Saitama enter the apartment. She bowed her head, letting the warm water run over her, and that was when she saw them. There were faint bruises on her hips and chest from where Genos had held her. _What's…wrong with me? I should have felt pain, right? Both Genos and Saitama said that I'm sturdy though. Sturdier than a normal girl. So…that being the case…what would have happened if I was a normal girl and slept with Genos? Could I have died?_

When she stepped out of the bathroom, wearing a hooded tank top and skirt, Noriko found Genos in the kitchen and Saitama watching an anime. She sat near him, nervously toying with the end of her tail. As she began to wonder if he had heard anything earlier, he turned to look at her. "Hn…Saitama? Sorry about-"

"You wouldn't leave without saying something, right?"

"Huh?" She blinked in surprise, her head tilting slightly. "No. If I needed to leave…I'd definitely say something, Saitama."

He turned back to the television, seeming to be satisfied with her answer. It had been bothering him for a while, even before hearing about her sister on the news. From the corner of his eye, he could still see her sitting there beside him with her legs drawn to her chest. Reaching over, he rubbed behind her right ear.

She purred and nuzzled her head against his hand, her cheeks turning pink. _What's wrong with me? It's like my ears are more sensitive. Is it because of what I did with Genos? Did that trigger some sort of cat instinct? I know I have those. I can feel them sometimes._ Without any warning, the hero started rubbing under her chin. The purring intensified and Noriko leaned over, falling across his lap unintentionally. Her tail curled at the end in contentment and she rubbed her cheek against his hand.

"You're more catlike today, huh? Not that I'm complaining. It's actually pretty cute." He stared down at her, curious as to what had brought on this sudden behavior. Normally when he pet her ears, she just purred in response. The feeling of her soft cheek against his hand was pleasant in an odd sort of way. That was when he remembered something he had said to Genos a while back. That having Noriko around was like having a girlfriend without the pressure. It was true; when she fell into 'feline mode' she got cuddly and warm. Although he was unsure if there were any actual romantic feelings involved. When he looked at her, he thought she was attractive, but what he felt was not exactly love. "So I take it your talk with Genos went well?"

"Hn…it went well," she admitted, her cheeks still pink.

"Dinner is almost ready." Genos stared over at his roommates for a moment, feeling a pang of jealousy. His girlfriend was sprawled across his mentor's lap, letting the man rub her cat ears and nuzzling her face against his hand. He briefly considered requesting her help in the kitchen, just to separate her from Saitama, but decided against it. After all, his relationship with her was deeper now. It would take more than this to break them apart.


	12. Chapter 12

They were sitting together in silence, watching an anime. It was a common thing for them recently. He would turn on the television, but avoided the news, and would sit with Noriko while rubbing behind one of her ears. She would quietly purr and sometimes nuzzle against his hand. Usually Genos was there too, either watching the anime with them or doing chores as he tried to ignore them. When the catgirl left his side, it was usually to help Genos or run a few errands.

 _What should we have for dinner tonight? Ramen sounds pretty good, but we had that a few nights ago._ Saitama let his gaze drift to Noriko. Her eyes were half-closed and her tail was curling at the end; something he had come to take as a sign of contentment. It had been two weeks since the news reported on Koneko's rampage. He had yet to tell Noriko and was pretty sure he would keep it a secret for as long as he could. Although, avoiding the news was not something that he enjoyed. He had missed a few monster fights because they had been watching anime instead.

A ringtone began to play and Noriko looked to her bag. Her tail twitched a little and she left Saitama's side to dig out her cell phone. "Ah…Noriko speaking. Er…yes, Samurai Catgirl. Yes. Yes, alright. I'll be there soon."

He stared for a moment, having wondered before how she used a phone. Apparently, she had to just quickly and constantly shift it from her cat ear near the top of her head down to where most people held their phone. _Weird. I've never seen her talk on the phone before._ He looked back to the television, his heart suddenly racing as he wondered whether or not it was news about her sister. "Hey, so was that the Hero Association?"

"Hn…yeah. It's a hostage situation with a monster." She grimaced and dug around in her bag for clean clothes. Noriko had been wearing pajamas most of the day for the sake of comfort.

Saitama watched from the corner of his eye as she carried her clothes to the bathroom to change. _A monster hostage situation, huh? Maybe I should go with her, just in case it is Koneko. But they would've told her if it was her sister, right? It would make her show up faster anyway._ He looked over when she returned to the room and raised both eyebrows. "Are you wearing bike shorts?"

Her face was bright red as she strapped her swords' sheaths onto her back. "Hn… _you_ were the one that got these for me." She tucked her phone into her back pocket and moved to the apartment door. "I don't know how long this might take. If Genos comes back-"

"I'll tell him where you went." He watched her go, silently appreciating the way her shorts clung to her thighs and bottom, and then turned his attention back to the television. Turning it to the news, the color left his face. _No way!_

A news anchor was standing in a busy street, full of people running and screaming. "As you can hear, it seems Loli Catgirl's rage has escalated! She seems to be have set her sights on specifically blonde young men now and if you listen closely you can hear-!"

"Big sister!" a high-pitched female voice shrieked. "Big sister! Big sister! Big sister!"

"She seems to be searching for Samurai Catgirl!" the anchor finished. "Little known fact, Loli Catgirl and Samurai Catgirl were created by the same scientist, who was later slain by Loli Catgirl!"

Saitama turned off the television and stared vacantly for a moment. "Okay, so I need to do something, I guess. But what? If I don't stop her, she's going to keep killing people and might try to kill Noriko. I don't want to kill her though; she's supposed to just be a kid." He soon realized what he would need to do. "I need to catch Loli Catgirl, don't I? That's not going to look good, but if I can at least keep her in one place until Noriko shows up. I mean, Noriko will know what to do, right? She can kill her sister. And I'll be there to stop her from killing herself." Full of dread, Saitama set off to find the young catgirl.

 **Shift P.O.V**

Noriko knew that she should have asked Saitama to go with her, but she wanted to take care of it herself. It was important that she defeat this monster on her own. The hostage situation was in City M so she had a decent amount of traveling ahead of her, but her strength training with Saitama seemed to have made a major improvement on her running speed. Though she was still quite a ways from being able to easily keep up with Genos and Saitama.

 _Well at least the scenery is nice_ , she thought as she ran. Her ears went back as she recalled what the Hero Association had told her. The hostage was a young girl and the monster was of rodent origins. _Did they call for me because it's a rodent though? Did they just figure that a cat can take out a rat? I wish Genos was here._ He had been called out to fight a different monster in a different city so she knew that, even if he did finish his fight before hers ended, it might be a while before he could get to her. Ears drawn back, she shook her head.

 _He's popular with women. Every time I've gone with them to fight, women of all ages crowd around him wanting a picture with him._ Jealousy spiked within her and she tried to calm herself. She knew that she had to act a certain way in front of his fans. If she showed anger or jealousy, it would be unseemly. Not that it stopped him from blocking her fans from getting to her. Noriko entered the city and paused for a moment to take in the situation.

Not many people seemed to even be aware that there was a monster or hostage situation in progress. She wove through the crowded streets, trying to locate the address that the Hero Association had given her. People stared at her, whispered things ranging from insulting to flattering. The girl was trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, but it was proving much harder than expected. Her feline ears and tail drew people's attention and then her swords held their attention. _As long as they don't follow me! I can't put them in danger like that!_

The building she eventually arrived at was an office building standing three floors high. She stood before it, briefly checking her swords to make sure she could unsheathe them without difficulty. With a rush of adrenaline, she pushed open the main doors. The lobby was in absolute disarray. The front counter had been smashed to splinters, the computers destroyed, potted plants lying on the floor in ruins. People had run from the building, abandoning their briefcases and clipboards on the tiled floor.

Noriko scowled and started for the maintenance stairs. _I can't take the elevator; it would alert the monster to my presence. More than likely, he would want to get high up so he could get to the other buildings without encountering any heroes. He's a rat so he can probably just scurry along a telephone line._ She moved up the stairs silently, her hands curling into fists at the thought of what the hostage was going through. Thinking about a young girl, fearing for her life and unsure of what may happen to her, reminded her too much of what she herself had endured. _I'll beat the tar out of that rat!_

When she reached the top floor, she made her way into a long corridor and began to race along it. She glanced at each door that she passed, seeing nothing remarkable. The monster would have taken the child somewhere that he thought he was safe from attack. Somewhere he thought he could stay holed up in until his demands were met. As she ran, she began to formulate a plan of attack. Optimally, she would negotiate with the monster and bring him in for investigation. The Hero Association stated that he had yet to kill anyone so he may have a particular motive for taking the hostage.

Finally, she came across a fancier door marked 'Boss'. Noriko paused in front of the door, tilting her head. _Really? It just says 'Boss'._ Shaking off the humor, she knocked three times. "Excuse me, sir! I'm with the Hero Association!" she called. "I hope we can come to some sort of agreement and we can all leave this situation safely!"

"Get in here." The voice that called to her was nasally in quality.

When she opened the door, the catgirl's green eyes went wide. _What the hell?_ Sitting behind the desk was a rat the size of a large human man, wearing a baggy sweatshirt and sweatpants, with a top hat perched on top of his head at a slight angle. He had one armwrapped around a girl that looked to be twelve or thirteen. The girl was wearing a middle school uniform and was trembling, tears running down her face. "Excuse me…"

The rat tipped his hat to her. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Samurai Catgirl. I'm so glad that they sent you. Just like I asked."

"You…asked for them to send me?" A cold sweat broke out on Noriko's body.

"Specifically. I told them, send me Samurai Catgirl and then I might let the girl go." He frowned slightly. "You're not the way I thought you would be. I heard that you were an F-cup."

She crossed her arms over her chest, her face turning pink. "I don't know where you heard that…but obviously you were lied to. Can we please begin negotiations?"

"You're saying that my best friend lied to me?" He sighed. "I had hoped that we could become better _acquainted_ before we start negotiating." The rat licked his lips, beady eyes looking her up and down. The girl that he held was lowering her head now, staring at the floor.

 _If I can get close enough, I can grab the kid and at least get her away from him._ Noriko's ears perked forward and she swayed her tail side to side. "…better acquainted…?" She took slow, deliberate steps toward the desk and planted both hands on the surface when she reached it. "How do you expect to do that when you already have _her_?"

"I'm not stupid! If I let her go, I know you'll leave! This is the only way to keep you here!" the rat shrieked.

"You obviously don't know that I really appreciate my fans then," she stated, trying to convince him. "I would never leave a fan high and dry."

"If you're lying to me-!"

"What would I gain from lying to you? I'm sure you would kill me before I could get her out of the building, right? A strong…rat…like yourself." Noriko began to scream internally, feeling absolutely disgusted at her words. To her credit, it actually worked.

The rat shoved the girl away from him, making her fall to her knees near the wall, and opened his arms invitingly to Noriko. "First some fun and then we can get to business."

"Exploding shuriken!"

Noriko jumped just in time to shield the girl from the blast, taking some damage herself in the form of cuts and light burns. She gripped the younger girl's wrist and dragged her to the door as the rat shook himself. He had sustained damage as well, but at best was just temporarily distracted. The catgirl shoved the child through the doorway ahead of her and was soon racing along the hallway with her. _Sonic is here?! Why though? Why is Sonic here? Did the girl's family hire him to kill the monster?_

"Would you mind explaining what you were going to do with that monster?" Sonic asked, running alongside her.

She winced. "I-I just needed to distract him from her so she could escape!"

"Do you always distract your enemies that way?"

Her face turned red and she shook her head vehemently. _The kid should be alright now. With Sonic attacking him and me betraying his trust, the monster should only target us._ Turning to the young girl, having reached the end of the corridor, she gave her a stern look. "Listen closely, okay? He won't go after you anymore. I want you to run down the stairs and out of the building. Don't stop running until you're somewhere safe, alright?" The child nodded silently and pulled Noriko into a brief hug before she departed.

Sonic was facing the corridor, absently toying with a shuriken. "So what's your plan? You got the kid out safely. Wasn't that your goal?"

"I can't just…let him rampage loose in this building. He's going to be mad that you hurt him." Meanwhile, she was ignoring her own painful injuries. One of the explosions had singed the pale flesh of her left shoulder. It was oozing blood, giving the air a faint metallic aroma. _This monster can't be too strong, can he? He's human-sized._

The door at the end of the hallway creaked quietly on its hinges. "I don't believe I introduced myself properly," the monster started, stepping into the open doorway. He tipped his hat, grinning widely and showing his sharp rodent teeth. "My name is Fancy Rat."

"Because of the top hat?"

"It can't be anything else." Noriko glanced at Sonic. He seemed uninterested in the monster. She unsheathed her swords and scowled. "I'm going after him."

"Fine by me. I didn't come for him anyway."

She moved slowly at first, gaging the rat's reaction. He was watching her closely, but otherwise seemed content to stand in the doorway. Noriko sped up, running at him with full speed until she was right in front of him. Drawing back her right sword, she lunged forward to impale him through the chest. It took seconds for her error to become clear. In the brief moments between leaving the room and his appearance in the doorway, he had drawn a weapon out of hiding. A heavy club slammed into her midsection, sending her body flying backwards.

Noriko skidded over the tiled floor and gritted her teeth. The pain in her chest was bad, but worse was the realization that she had messed up. _I underestimated him, thinking he was in this without a weapon. How could I be so stupid?! Is it because Sonic is here? Did I just get distracted?_ She leapt back to dodge another strike of the club, moving again and again. When she finally spotted an opening, she was more than happy to dart past him and slash off the monster's scaly tail. Blood drenched the tiled floor and he screamed, turning on her with a red sheen to his eyes. _Okay, now he's mad and hurt! But I can still do this! I won't let all of my strength training go to waste here!_

The rat began to strike at her once more, following her along the hallway. When it became evident that she would be hard to hit again, he snarled. "You think you can cut off my beautiful tail and just run away?!"

She blocked a strike of his club and drove one of her swords forward, piercing his shoulder. His eyes went wide and when she pulled her blade free, she hurriedly leapt back and felt Sonic's presence close by. "You're…really not going to help?"

"I don't see why I should. You can finish him yourself."

A grin spread across her face. "You really think so?" Not waiting for an answer, she rushed forward again, swiping furiously at the rat.

He backed away from her, using his heavy club to block her strikes and protect himself. All the while, his mind raced with ideas. He had never seen her up close before and she was getting awfully close. The thought of watching her die, slowly and full of despair, greatly thrilled him.


	13. Chapter 13

_They're not here._ Genos checked the kitchen and television areas for a note, but found no explanation for why his roommates were gone. It was unfortunate because he had been looking forward to returning to Noriko and Saitama. The fight with the monster had taken a bit longer than expected. Despite being a little perplexed, he decided to go about his usual tasks.

He tidied the kitchen, bathroom, and sitting area, watered the plants, and washed the dishes before leaving the apartment to restock the fridge and collect their mail. Once the fridge had been restocked, he sat on the floor with the mail and sorted it. Noriko's pile of fan mail was larger today, bringing a frown to his face. She had once told him that she never received fan mail before moving in with the two heroes because she had never had an address. It was probably for the best that she had never received mail before.

Genos set his own pile of letters aside and focused his attention on Noriko's mail. He would never tell her this, but he always looked through it before giving it to her. He opened each letter carefully, checked for obscene photos, threats, or suggestive language, and then resealed the envelopes as if they had been untouched. Any envelopes containing obscene photos, threats, or suggestive language were burned before she could ever see them.

Unfortunately, this usually took quite a while. Even worse, he usually had quite a few envelopes to burn afterwards. Of course, the threats came from girls who were mad that she was dating him. He felt guilty, but knew there was nothing that could be done about it. When he was done burning the worst of the mail, he looked toward her bag. Genos knew that she would be back soon because she had left a few rather important items in the bag; a tattered photo of her family, a journal, and her bell necklace. _I hope she returns soon._

 **Shift P.O.V**

 _Damn it!_ Noriko dodged the rat's club and braced herself against a wall before lunging forward. Electricity raced along her blades and she slammed the blunt edge against the monster's neck. While he was stunned, she hurried back down the hall, putting as much distance between herself and the rat as possible. _I can't keep this up; it's too difficult! It's hard to fight in such a tight space!_

"Why don't you just kill him already? Or is it a cat instinct to play with it first?" Sonic taunted. He was standing behind her, near the stairs, and looked at her blades. Electricity was dancing along their edges.

"The Hero Association wants me to bring him in alive," she replied, eyes narrowed on the rat. He was shaking himself and seemed to puff up when he was done, glaring at the girl with his bright red eyes. _What can I do? I need to aim for his head next time, right? If I hit him just right and knock him out…_

"How dare you?! Just who do you think you are? Samurai Catgirl! You're not even that pretty!" the rat screamed. "I'm going to show you what happens when you mess with Fancy Rat!" He charged, club raised and sharp teeth bared.

Noriko gritted her teeth and held her stance, prepared to attack again. When he reached her, she lifted both swords and bashed the sides of his head with the ends of the handles. He shrieked and jumped back, lifting a hand to rub his head. She took the opportunity to rush forward, but found that same hand suddenly gripping the front of her tank top and throwing her. The catgirl's body crashed through a wall and into what seemed to be a meeting room, her swords falling from her hands. "Ngh! Damn it!"

Pushing herself to stand, she was met with the rat rushing at her once more with his club. He managed to strike her ribs and stomach several times as she tried to move away from him. Just before she could get out of reach, the club struck her across the face. Blood flew from her mouth and Noriko fell against the wall, hissing in pain.

The rat's whiskers twitched as he looked at her, lewdly focusing on her chest. His claws had torn three slashes across the front of her shirt, exposing her bra and pale flesh. A smirk took form on the rat's face. "If you behave yourself now, maybe we can still work out some arrangement."

"You're talking like I've been beaten," she snarled, baring her fangs.

"What? Are you in denial or are you just _stupid_? My best friend never mentioned that you were stupid, but I guess you'd _have_ to be to choose a cyborg for your boyfriend."

"He has nothing to do with this!" Noriko pushed herself to stand, trying her best to ignore the pain. _I'm sturdy. I can handle this._ She ran her fingers through her long violet hair, her ears perking forward. "So…mind telling me why you took that girl?"

His grin grew and he tipped his hat. "I was going to make her mine, of course."

She began to tremble with anger. "Make her _yours_? She was just a kid."

"Hm? But weren't you just a kid? When you were taken and-"

Noriko lunged forward, claws slashing at the rat. He backed up more and more until he hit a wall, terror filling his eyes. She gripped his throat hard, her head tilting. "What do you know anyway? You're just a _creep_. Just like _he_ was." Her eyes clenched shut in pain as he lifted the club and proceeded to slam it against her back over and over. She tightened her grip, cutting off his oxygen until he was forced to stop attacking her. "Listen… _Fancy Rat_ …I want to kill you. But the Hero Association wants you alive. You'll have to thank them when I deliver you to them. If it weren't for their request, I would have torn open your throat by now."

The rat's clawed foot planted against her stomach and shoved her away. The girl stumbled backwards and he slammed his shoulder into her chest. When Noriko fell onto her back on the floor, she was lucky enough to land beside one of her swords. She quickly grabbed for it, but could see from the corner of her eye that he was already standing over her.

"You think I care about what you think? I only came here to-!" A gross, wet sound erupted from his throat and his body fell forwards next to hers, blood flowing from a large wound in his back.

Sonic was standing where the rat had been seconds before, examining his blood-painted blade. "He was getting annoying."

"Y-you weren't supposed to kill him!" Noriko saw the rat twitching and quickly moved away from him. _Damn it! What am I going to do?!_

A wheezing laugh left the rat's mouth and he turned his head. "You think I can be beaten that easily? You don't even know!" He rummaged in his sweatshirt and produced a cellphone. With a click, all of the lights in the building went out.

Mentally swearing, Noriko held her sword in front of her. _Okay, I just have to stay calm. Stay calm! I can sort of see in the dark because of my cat qualities. Wait. What about Sonic?_ She was trembling, but put a hand out in front of her. "Sonic…?"

"I'm here." He put a hand on her shoulder and frowned in the darkness. "This guy is pissing me off."

"He's stronger than I expected." Her ears went back, angry with herself for thinking it would easy to beat him. "Can you see at all?"

"Not really." A smirk settled on his face and he ran his fingertips over the curve of her bottom. She made a quiet squeaking sound in response before flashing her fangs. "Find your other sword. I'll wait here."

She scanned the floor until she recognized the shape of her sword. Settling it into her sheath, she used her left hand to grab Sonic's hand. "Ah…okay so I think he left the room. We need to find him before he escapes the building."

"Why is it so important that you catch him? You saved the kid."

Noriko glanced over at him as they started down the hall, listening for movement. "I thought her parents had paid you to kill the monster."

"I said before that I'm not here for him. Even if I was, this doesn't seem worth my time." He squinted in the dark hallway and tried to see her, but it was just too dark. "Why have you been avoiding me?"

"I-I haven't! I mean…look, I don't even know where I would find you if I wanted to see you…" She bit her lower lip and suppressed a growl of frustration. "Now isn't the time to talk about this, Sonic."

"Every time you say my name -"

"There you are!" The rat appeared out of nowhere and began swiping at both of them.

Noriko shoved Sonic behind her and took the worst of the damage. Slashes opened up and down her chest, a few on her face and her left forearm when she lifted it to shield herself. Blood splattered onto the tiled floor and the smell of it seemed to ignite her feline instincts. She lunged forward with her fangs bared and tore into his throat with all of her strength. Tearing away a chunk of flesh, the monster's blood splashed the catgirl and ninja.

It fell back against the wall, blood drenching the floor beneath it, and stared at her in horror. "H-he _lied_ ….he lied to me! He said it would be _easy_! He said it would be so easy because you were a _weak_ , little-!" A gurgling gasp left him as Sonic thrust a blade into the monster's chest. The ninja twisted it and tore it free, grinning evilly. "…Kenta-sensei…he lied to me…" The rat's body went limp.

The girl's heart raced at rat's dying words. "K-Kenta?! Sonic, did he say 'Kenta'?"

"He said Kenta-sensei, but yeah."

 _No way. There's no way. He could mean…_ She moved to run her fingers through her hair, but they were sticky with blood. "Kenta…Kenta…isn't _alive_ though. He isn't alive. I saw him die. I _saw_ it! I saw my sister tear him apart, Sonic!"

Not entirely sure what she was talking about, he decided that the best thing they could do was leave. By the time they were outside, standing in the afternoon sunlight, she seemed to have calmed a little. "Who's Kenta?"

"He…made me this way. He took me from my home and killed my family! And he…made me into _this_." Her shoulders drooped and she stood in place, unaware of the cheering crowd that was surrounding her. The girl only grew aware of their presence when she felt arms wrap around her. A look down showed the girl that she had rescued. "Ah…n-no! You shouldn't! I'm covered in blood!"

"You saved me though, Cat-chan! I was so scared, but you came in and you beat him up like it was nothing!" the girl exclaimed, tears in her eyes. "I-I want to be brave like you when I grow up, Cat-chan!"

Noriko tried to smile, but was fighting the tears that were forming in her own eyes. _Kenta. What if he somehow survived? But how? I saw her tear him apart! She ate most of his organs in front of me! Kenta is a common name, right? But now…I can't shake the thought. What if he did survive?_ She excused herself from the crowd and slowly made her way out of the city. Only when she was walking through the wilderness, did she allow herself to cry. The very mention of his name had struck such fear in her heart. It made her feel weak. It made her feel helpless to be so frightened of something so small.

Sonic, who had made himself scarce when the crowd surrounded her, walked alongside the girl now. She was battered and bleeding from the fight, even burned a little from his exploding shuriken. He felt slightly guilty about that, but more than guilt he felt triumph in having finished the monster himself. The way the rat had looked at her made his blood boil and even worse was the way he had spoken to her. He glanced over at her and smirked. The front of her shirt was drenched in blood. A horrible mixture of hers and the monster's. Even scarier was the blood around her mouth. It was not hers. "If he is alive, he won't be for long."

"…what do you mean…?" The scratches on her face and chest were stinging painfully, but she forced herself to ignore them as she turned to look at Sonic.

"If he gets near you, I'm going to kill him. A loser like him doesn't deserve to live." He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her against his side, making her pause in her steps. "You realize that you owe me again, right? I killed that thing for you."

"I-I tore out its throat."

"It survived me stabbing it through the back. Do you think biting its throat would finish it?" He could feel her leaning more heavily against him and realized that she was losing consciousness. "You're losing a lot of blood."

"I…I know that." Noriko winced when he lifted her right arm to put it across the back of his neck. In one quick movement, he had lifted her in his arms and was speeding across the landscape. Her head rested against his chest, listening to the rapid beat of his heart as he carried her. _I'm sturdy. I'll be okay. I have to be okay…so I can find Koneko. So I can know if Kenta lived or not. And if he did…I'll kill him, too._

 **Shift P.O.V**

It was proving to be much more difficult than Saitama had imagined. Locating Loli Catgirl was easy enough. Avoiding her attacks was fairly easy, too, but he was also trying to keep her from hurting herself. True to Noriko's description, her sister was absolutely vicious. Saitama had found her ripping apart a blonde teenage boy. It was then that he remembered what the news had said. _She's targeting blonde guys. It can only mean one thing; she's trying to find Genos. She must have seen the gossip stuff about Noriko and Genos. She's probably targeting him so she can use him to get to her sister._

The girl's left eye was twitching as she stared at Saitama, licking her fangs. Her cat ears were perked forward, tail moving back and forth like a predator's. "Hnhnhn~ You're fun to play with, old man. You came out of nowhere and you're pretty fun to play with. Like a toy mouse!"

He frowned and tried to not laugh. She was quite petite; standing at only four feet tall. Her hair was long and lavender in color, her eyes a pale shade of green. _She looks kind of like Noriko. Why did he make a younger version of her though?_ Saitama took a step toward her and saw her actually flinch. _She's afraid of men, just like Noriko. Has she just been acting scary this whole time to hide the fact that she's afraid?_ He stopped and crossed his arms. "You're looking for Nya-chan, aren't you?"

"Big sister! Do you know where she is, old man?! Tell me where you're hiding her!"

"Calm down. She's somewhere safe. Just come with me." Even as he said, it he knew how creepy it sounded. _I'm trying to convince a little girl to come with me somewhere. This looks pretty bad._

Her entire body began to shake and her claws seemed to extend. "I won't! Not even for big sister! I won't go with some man! Men are all garbage!"


	14. Chapter 14

Every part of her body ached when Noriko woke, but the worst part was the cold. She shivered and opened her eyes to find a white, cracked ceiling above her. The wounds across her chest burned as she pushed herself to sit up, trying to figure out where she was. _The old office building? From when Sonic and I…?_ Her face turned red as her eyes met his.

He was leaning against a desk nearby, apparently waiting for her to wake up. After she fainted, he had brought her here without giving it much thought. There was nowhere else to take her. Maybe a hospital, but he remembered what happened the last time people saw him in public with Noriko. It was probably for the best. Narrowing his eyes in the dimly lit space, he could see her wounds shining with fresh blood. "You were asleep for twenty-four hours."

"Ngh! Why didn't you…take me to a hospital?" she muttered. Licking her lips, she was surprised to not taste blood. A look down at her body showed that he had done his best to clean her wounds, but they were starting to bleed once more.

"I didn't want to get mistaken for a kidnapper again." Sonic crossed his arms and took a few steps toward her. "Which reminds me that we need to talk."

"Hn…I mean…is _now_ really the best time?" Noriko moved so that her legs hung over the side of the desk, ignoring the fierce pain that came with movement. "I-I need a hospital…or something. You don't have to come with me, but-"

"What makes you think that I'll let you leave?" He smirked and stood in front of her, watching her eyes shift away from his. When he lifted her chin, her face turned pink. "I want an explanation. _Now_."

Her feline ears went back and she slowly raised her eyes to meet his grey ones. "An explanation…about what? What do you want me to explain? Is this about Saitama knocking you into the ground the last time I saw you?"

He instantly began to fume. "That was-!"

"Why are you so set on beating him?"

A growl left him and he tugged her face closer to his. "That wasn't what I wanted you to explain! When are you going to tell your boyfriend about me?"

Her eyes narrowed and she bared her fangs. "I-I'm not! I couldn't-!"

Sonic sneered in response. "You think he's _better_ than me? There are plenty of things I can do that he can't." He pulled her face to his, lips crushing hers as he lifted her legs around his waist. The man drew back slightly and tugged at the neckline of his clothes, displaying the scar on his neck from her fangs. "Did you already forget? I'm yours. And you're mine, aren't you?" Not waiting for an answer, he moved in again to press his lips to hers.

She growled quietly, but wrapped her arms around his neck to steady herself. _Every time I'm around him, I end up doing this! Why?! It feels natural, but at the same time, I know I shouldn't be doing this!_ Noriko felt his tongue run along her lower lip and hesitantly parted her lips to let him in. The tip of his tongue traced over the point of one of her fangs and she resisted the urge to bite him. His body felt warm against hers, making her stop shivering as he pulled her closer.

When he broke the kiss, it was with a swear. He released her and turned back to the desk he had been leaning against. "I have to go somewhere," he said over his shoulder, gathering his weapons. Sonic gave her a stern look as he approached the door, freezing her in her movement. She had been in the process of climbing down from the desk. "Don't go anywhere. I'll be back in a couple of days and if you're gone, I'll make you regret it."

Noriko waited until he was gone before she finished sliding off of the desk. She was a little shaky on her feet, but knew that she had to leave. _What did he expect me to do for the next few days anyway? I need to get some bandages and close up these scratches. They're starting to really burn._ Stepping out into the afternoon light, she immediately began to shiver.

 **Shift P.O.V**

When they both failed to reappear by nightfall, he started to worry a little. By morning, he was determined to do something to keep his mind off of it. Genos went about his usual tasks, which took a lot less time since no one was there to make a mess or eat any of the food he had bought. There were, however, a lot of letters for Noriko in the mail. Most of them were nice letters from fans, but there was also a decent amount of indecent pictures sent in by male fans. As he watched about twenty pictures burn in a metal bucket, he determined that he had to find his companions. _Master Saitama is probably alright. I know that he can handle a lot. I'm more worried about Noriko. If that pervert kidnapped her again, I cannot imagine what might happen. I would have to annihilate him._

Genos stepped outside into the afternoon sunlight and first looked up and down their street in case she was just now walking home. There was no sign of her. Settling his features into a frown, he set off. Scanning the area for her would yield the quickest results and, with his worry growing with each minute, he decided that this method was his only option. He moved to the nearest rooftop and waited a moment for her location to register _. Why is she near the abandoned area? Is that where she has been this whole time?_ He rushed to where she was, reaching her as she started down a normal street in the normal part of the city.

People were staring at her and with good reason. When Genos spotted her, his worry turned to rage. The catgirl was bruised and bloody with slashes across her chest and arms. There was a large but mild burn on her left upper arm and shoulder with small bits of metal sticking out of it. The worst was her face. Her left cheekbone, cheek, and that side of her jaw were like one massive bruise. She was staggering a little and seemed to sense him watching her because she lifted her gaze with a slight smile. Her green eyes were watery with held back tears of what he could only assume were pain. Without a word, he scooped her up in his arms and took her back to the apartment.

 **Shift P.O.V**

Noriko took a shower to wash away the grime, sweat, and blood. She slouched in front of the television when she came out and let Genos rub her hair dry with a towel. _I don't know why he insisted on doing this. It's embarrassing enough that I got hurt this bad, but to have him tend to my wounds like I'm just a kid…_

"How did this happen, Noriko?" He lifted a pair of tweezers and carefully began to extract the metal shards from her burn.

"I-it was a rat monster…I underestimated him," she muttered. "Ngh! C-careful!"

When the metal was out of her arm, he set about putting ointment on the burn and wrapping it. "I need to know who is responsible for putting you in this state so that I can annihilate them," he stated in a dark tone.

"Well it's too late for that. I ripped out his throat. With my fangs." The girl gritted her teeth against the pain as he moved his attention to her chest wounds. _Cold! His hand feels really, really cold today!_ A low hiss escaped her, but she forced herself to stay in place. "S-so are you disgusted? I mauled the rat monster the way a cat would. My instincts…when I smelled my own blood…I just snapped and tore out a chunk of his throat. I'm disgusting."

"Those were your natural instincts. It could not be helped. It's not as if you enjoyed biting out his throat." Genos finished smearing ointment on the slashes across her chest and wrapped a bandage around her abdomen from her collarbone to the bottom of her ribcage. It was then that he noticed the deep bruise that covered most of her navel area. "How much does it hurt?"

"I mean…I'm feeling a little better now. Thank you, Genos." She blushed when he leaned over to kiss her.

The cyborg went to put away the medical supplies as she located a clean pair of shorts. "You should refrain from fighting for a while, Noriko. We will have to inform the Hero Association of your wounds and-"

"Th-they probably already know…this happened during a mission to save a hostage." She bit her sharp thumbnail and turned her back to him. "I learned something…before the rat died," she muttered as she moved to pull up her shorts.

Genos stood watching for a moment, observing the way her tail slipped through the slit she had cut in the back before she slid them up the rest of the way. It was always odd to see her without a shirt or pants on because he could see where the tail connected to her body. "What did you say?"

Just thinking about it was making her stomach hurt with worry. Noriko sat at the table in front of the television and slouched. "Genos…I think that K-"

"I'm back." Saitama pushed open the door and closed it quietly, a weirdly pale pair of arms hanging down the front of his shoulders and legs around his hips from behind. "I brought you something, Nya-chan. You have to be quiet though. It took me forever to get this kid to tire out enough and even then, I had to bribe her with taiyaki."

The other two stared at him for a moment as he struggled out of his boots. The hero's outfit appeared to have been sliced open in several areas with something sharp. He fell to his knees beside Noriko and very carefully shifted the sleeping child off of his back so that she was lying on the floor. Without another word, he walked in the bathroom.

Noriko stared down at the child, who looked no older than twelve. The child whose face mirrored Noriko's from many years ago. Her hair was a paler shade of purple and her eyes were a lighter green, but it was unmistakable that she had been modeled after a younger version of Noriko. She was wearing the same white sundress that she had been wearing the day she killed Kenta, but now it had blood caked onto the fabric in a thick crust. There was blood and red bean paste smeared around her mouth. "…Koneko…"

Genos stood over the two and frowned. He had expected something more like a monster, but this girl looked innocent. "This is your sister?"

"Hn…sort of. Kenta's creation." She winced. "Kenta…might still be alive, Genos." To her utter amazement, he smirked. "Genos?"

"This means that I can kill him."

"I mean…we need to _find_ him first." Her gaze returned to the sleeping catgirl beside her and she frowned. Noriko gently reached over to brush the girl's hair away from her eyes. _I intended to kill her the next time I saw her. When I see her like this, it makes it difficult. She just looks like a normal kid…with cat ears and a cat tail._

"Do you still plan to kill her?"

Noriko bit her lip and shrugged. "It's one thing to say it…another thing when she's right here…like this."

"There's something you guys need to know," Saitama spoke up from the doorway. "First, she's been surviving on human flesh. Second, she was looking for you, Nya-chan. And third, she wants to kill Genos. Something about you tainting Nya-chan. I don't know. It took me forever to tire her out though and when I said I'd get her taiyaki, she finally said she'd come with me." He sat near Noriko and rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "So what do we do now? We have this bloodthirsty kid sleeping on our floor. Did you want to kill her? I didn't feel right about even trying it. And do you know what kind of looks people were giving me? They thought I was some kind of creep!"

 _Why would she think that Genos tainted me?_ She glanced at the cyborg and blushed. "Hn…she's really been eating human flesh?"

"You think maybe she got addicted after she ate that one creep?"

"Master Saitama, Noriko said that there is a chance that her creator is alive. We will look into this further, but for the time being-"

"Oh. Hey, what happened to you, Nya-chan?" Saitama stared at the slightly bloody bandages covering her chest. "Wait. That hostage situation?"

Her ears went back and her tail flicked back and forth in irritation. "…it was a rat monster…and he said he was friends with Kenta…" She looked from Saitama back to Koneko. "If he is alive…then she's going to be in more danger I will be." Noriko rummaged in her bag for a shirt and pulled it on carefully, avoiding touching her wounds. "I'm…going for a walk." Without another word, she exited the apartment. _Too much to process at once. First that issue with Sonic, then hearing the Kenta might be alive, and now…Koneko is here._

She bowed her head as she walked, not wanting to see the people around her. They were staring, of course. Most of her wounds were hidden, but the bruises on the side of her face were still very dark and prominent. _Maybe now guys won't find me attractive. That's fine. In fact, that would be perfect._ Her ears twitched as she heard footsteps behind her. Noriko walked a little faster, not wanting to know who it was. _Sonic? No. He said he would be gone for a few days._ In one, swift movement she turned and unsheathed a sword to press it against her stalker's throat. Her green eyes widened as they met black and gold ones. "…Genos…?"

"I meant to say something before you left the apartment, but I do not think it is wise for you to walk around the city alone." Genos looked down at her sword and waited for her to sheath it before taking her hand in his. The air between them was a bit awkward as they walked to the park. When she collapsed onto a bench, he sat beside her protectively and glared at any man that glanced their way. "Your sister wants to kill me."

She closed her eyes and leaned against his side. The sun seemed to have warmed the metal of his body because it felt pleasant, driving away the chill that had overtaken her since she woke up. "I won't let her kill you…not that I think she could." Consciousness was draining away from her as she felt his arm go around her to hold her close. "Genos…I love you…"

If he could blush, his face would be bright pink. Nonetheless, his mechanical heart began to beat faster and he was sure that she could hear it. "I love you, Noriko."

Her mind was becoming foggy, losing her battle to ignore the pain of her injuries. "Genos…I think I might be sick…" she mumbled, burying her face in his chest.

"Noriko?" True to her words, her body did feel unusually warm to the touch. Her left arm went around his neck, using the last of her strength to pull herself onto his lap, and collapsed against his chest. Realization hit him as he remembered that her wounds had been inflicted by a rat monster's claws. The odds that the rat's claws were clean were not good. An infection was coursing through her veins as they sat there.


	15. Chapter 15

"Now we wait a few minutes for it to cook." Saitama glanced at the petite catgirl standing beside him in the kitchen. She was staring at the cup ramen in wonder as her tail swayed back and forth. "You've really never had this before?" She shook her head, pale green eyes growing wide as she sniffed at the air. "It's pretty good, but not as good as ramen from a stand."

"Smells good, at least." Her ears went back as she remembered where she was and who she was talking to. Worse, what was happening behind in the next room. Koneko moved to look over, but was distracted when Saitama set a bottle of sauce next to the ramen.

Keeping her distracted was his number one priority now. She had woken up the morning after he brought her to the apartment. When she saw the state that Noriko was in, she immediately accused Genos of hurting her. It took a lot of convincing to make her not try to maul him, more out of concern for her safety. Thankfully it was easy to distract her with food. Saitama carried the cup ramen and sauce to the table and sat down, staring at her expectantly until she sat beside him. "Alright. Just pour a little in, stir it, and you can eat it."

"Hm. Too easy, old man." She did as he instructed, staring at the noodles intently. When she lifted some to her mouth and took a bite, she grinned. "Pretty good."

"Better than human flesh, right?"

"Hmph. Like you can compare the two. One's meat and the other is noodles." She continued to eat, but glanced over at Genos and Noriko.

Saitama followed her stare and frowned. The older catgirl had been sleeping since Genos carried her back the previous day. Her fever was going down, thanks to some medicine the cyborg had brought for her, but she had yet to wake up. "Hey, how's she doing?"

"Don't talk to him!" Koneko snapped fiercely. "He's not allowed to talk to you, old man." She sent a glare toward the blonde and bared her fangs, a noodle hanging from the corner of her mouth. No matter what Saitama told her, she refused to believe that Genos meant no harm.

 **Shift P.O.V**

"Hn…Koneko, that's impolite," Noriko muttered. She had been awake for a short while, listening to her interact with Saitama and Genos. _What happened to her after she left on that day? Where did she get this attitude from?_ She immediately felt the child's arms wrap around her neck. "Koneko, careful!"

"Big sister! What did that blonde creep do to you?!"

She pushed herself to sit up and the smaller girl crawled onto her lap. "…calm down…"

"He wouldn't leave you alone while you were asleep, big sister! I wanted to sit next to you and he wouldn't move! Make him leave! I don't like him!"

Noriko grimaced, but reached up to pet behind one of Koneko's ears. The younger girl started to purr instantly, though seemed confused. "He's not leaving. Look…Koneko…not all men are bad, alright?"

" _He_ is! I know not all men are bad! The old guy is alright!"

She snickered, realizing that she was referring to Saitama. "No…Genos isn't bad."

"I saw it on a TV! Why are you dating someone like him?! He looks evil!"

 _This coming from someone that mauls and eats people._ Noriko shook her head and stood. "Finish eating your ramen. We're going for a walk." She went into the bathroom, but heard footsteps following her. A glance over her shoulder made her sigh in relief. "…Genos…"

"Koneko seems unwilling to trust me."

"She just…really dislikes men. _Most_ men." She leaned against the wall, frowning as she looked down at the floor. _Koneko won't be able to function like a normal kid. She's too warped. If a family tried to take her in, she would probably kill them. She'll never be able to have a normal life. Honestly…killing her would be a mercy. But I can't do that._ Feeling his stare upon her, she raised her eyes to meet his. "…I think I'll find her somewhere safe and secluded…where she can kill monsters and avoid humans…"

Noriko refused his and Saitama's offers to accompany her, deciding that it was best to go on her own. She still felt weak from her fight with the rat monster and her wounds were still healing, but she knew that this had to be done. She did her best to give Koneko a good three days in the apartment with her and her companions. Anything that Koneko wanted to eat, she got to. Noriko took her to get supplies and new clothes. She did everything in her power to instill a trust in humanity within the younger girl. When she finally turned her loose in an uninhabited area near a forest, she felt a pang of guilt. "You're going to stay here, right? Unless you leave to visit me and Saitama. Alright, Koneko?"

The child nodded. "Just to see you and the old guy."

"You won't hunt humans."

"I won't. I promise."

"And you won't look for Genos."

At this, Koneko grimaced and bowed her head. "I…I saw the picture. Of him kissing you. I want to kill him the way I killed _him_. You don't know! You didn't know what he was going to do to you and now you're…with someone like that blonde creep. Big sister." Tears slid down the girl's cheeks as she lifted her gaze to Noriko's. "Don't let him hurt you. I couldn't-"

Noriko pulled the child into a hug, feeling her tremble. "Genos isn't like Kenta. He would never hurt either of us, Koneko. Someday you'll understand."

When she watched the younger catgirl disappear into the forest, she let her own tears fall. _Is that really what provoked her into mauling Kenta? I never knew that._ Noriko started toward home, avoiding the eyes of everyone she passed. There was a pain in her chest that was not from her injuries. She had never seen Koneko cry before. Even when Kenta hurt her, she never once cried. _I'll visit her. I just…can't let her be around people. Not yet._

"You're not getting away this time!"

The voice had come from above her and Noriko unsheathed her swords just in time to block an aerial attack from Sonic. She gritted her teeth and threw her weight forward, pushing him away from her. _Damn it! Why now?! And how long has he been following me this time?_ The girl scowled at him as he landed a few feet away, her tail twitching in agitation. "Sonic. Now…is the _worst_ time for this."

"Do I look like I care? I told you not to leave!"

"…did you know that I had an infection…? I could have died."

"You're being dramatic!" He threw a handful of shuriken at her, but she quickly dodged them. As she was distracted, he rushed forward with his blade and was surprised to find her ready to block him again. Jumping back as electricity pulsed along her swords, he felt his grin taking form. "You've gotten faster. Is he training you?"

She crossed the swords in front of her and tilted her head. "Hn…if you mean Saitama…yes. He's been helping me with strength training." The girl ran at him, swiping back and forth as he jumped back to avoid her strikes. "So…want to know why he helped me? I told him…that I want to be able to beat _you_!" With a smirk, she planted a foot on his chest and flipped backwards. On the inside, she began to absolutely panic. _Damn, I'm lucky! If he hadn't been so distracted, he could have really hurt me! Now that I'm fighting him, what am I going to do? At least everyone seems to have gotten smarter; they're running away instead of crowding around to watch._

"Oh, so this is about beating me? Cute. You think you'll be able to beat me when I'm going at full speed?"

"…the faster you move…the easier my blades can cut you in half…ever think of that?"

Sonic crossed his arms, locks of black hair falling over his face. "You're getting a little too cocky, Noriko."

She smirked and licked the tip of one of her fangs menacingly. "So? What? You…don't like me anymore? Is that it, Sonic?" To her terror, his grin returned full force. _No matter how many times I see it, no matter how much time I spend around him, that grin is always creepy as hell._

"It makes you that much more fun. Exploding shuriken!" While she moved to dodge the attack, he jumped into her way and caught her against his chest. He pressed his blade to her neck as one of hers pressed against his and he felt his eyes widen. "What?"

A snarl left her lips as she glared up at him. "…have you gotten _slower_ …? Sonic…I think you're losing your edge." Noriko could feel the arm against her lower back pressing her tighter against his body and it forced a blush onto her cheeks.

"Every time you say my name, it's like an invitation. You don't know what it does to me," he said in a low growl.

 _Wait…what?_ She tried to pull back, but his arm refused to budge. Narrowing her eyes, she leaned forward and sank her fangs into his neck. _I don't want to use my sword on you! I deactivated the electricity so if you could just back off-!_ He released her and her teeth slid free of his skin, but she could taste his blood as she leapt back and away from him. "I-I didn't…"

He cupped a hand over the bite, raising an eyebrow. "Did you really just bite me? You know you already left your mark, don't you?"

"It's…it's not _like_ that! I just wanted you to let me go! I didn't want to cut you!" she protested. Noriko activated the electrical currents again, letting them dance along the length of her blades as she watched Sonic for sudden movements. He was smirking now. "Look…it's really a bad time for this. You don't know…what I've been through. Let me go home or else-!"

"Or else _what_?" he challenged her. "Do you really think you can beat me?"

"…do you really want to beat me…?" she argued. The catgirl felt a breeze rush through her long violet hair and it helped her calm somewhat. _I need to get home before Genos comes looking for me. If I could outrun him, I would. I know I'm not fast enough to outrun Sonic. What I need is something to convince him to let me go. But what?_

His grey eyes narrowed and he was soon upon her, bearing his blade down against hers as she moved to block. The man's free hand darted behind her head and caught a handful of her hair, forcing her head back. She froze in place as her neck was exposed, her eyes going wide in panic. "There it is. You're afraid again. Just what do you think I'm going to do to you?"

Her heart was hammering in her chest as his blade pushed down on her pale throat. It was clear that he had no desire to kill her, but at the same time one wrong move could prove disastrous. "Sonic…this isn't a fair fight."

"Of course it isn't. I'm so much stronger than you."

"So…it's not really a challenge for you, is it? When you first talked to me…it was because you wanted to draw out Saitama and fight him, right? D-do you want me to go get him?" It was her last resort. Though she had no desire to see Sonic get slammed into the ground again, if it would make him let her go then she would risk it.

"This isn't about him anymore. Didn't I say that I would make you regret it if you left?" When she darted her eyes away from his, he put his blade away and pulled her face closer to his by her hair. "He doesn't even see you as a person! Doesn't that make you angry?!"

"…he didn't mean it…"

"He called you his _pet_. It's disgusting." Seeing the way her green eyes seemed to grow wet with tears, he frowned. "Don't tell me. Did you really think he was your _friend_?"

"He is! What he said before was just…"

"Was _what_? Did he tell you that he didn't mean it? And you actually believed him?" Sonic became aware now that people were starting to gather around them, but left them plenty of space so that the onlookers were in a ring around the two. "Just what I needed."

"Let me go, Sonic…or do you want to be mistaken for a kidnapper again?"

His eyes went from the onlookers back to Noriko and he grinned. He released her hair and raced after her when she began to run from the area. The people around them had started to whisper things. Certain things that made them both look bad. He could only hope that she would lead him somewhere secluded because, true to his word, each time she said his name he felt something. Attraction. Even now, as she was running from him and fighting against him, he could feel something that he had never felt before. She was fun to mess with. She reacted in ways that sometimes caught him off guard. Like now. He had expected her to come with him without too much of a fight.

Noriko glanced over her shoulder as she ran, mind racing to come up with a solution. _He didn't take the bait! I couldn't have really sent Saitama to fight him; he never would have agreed to it! Damn it! But now what am I supposed to do?! What's going to happen if he catches me again?_ She looked around her at the innocent bystanders and immediately reached a decision. Turning abruptly, the girl headed toward the abandoned part of town. Though she was still healing from her wounds, she reminded herself that she was sturdy. She could handle this. Noriko made it a few blocks into the abandoned area and felt a shuriken nick her side. Blood dampened the side of her shirt, but she ignored it and continued to run. When she felt a rush of air through her hair, she twisted and raised a sword to block him from striking down with his own blade. For a brief instant, Noriko found herself wondering what Koneko would have thought of Sonic. Shaking off that thought, she gritted her teeth and thrust her knee upwards sharply. His body froze in place, eyes going wide. Without another word, she ran from him.

 _Damn it! I just kneed him in the groin! I'm not getting out of it alive the next time he sees me! Now I really have to get home before he catches me! How long will it take for him to recover? Why the hell did I have to knee him in the groin?_ Noriko reached the apartment and slammed the door shut, collapsing against it and holding her side. Her palm was becoming sticky with her own blood and it made her stomach turn.

Genos and Saitama were sitting at the table and looked over at her in mild alarm. "Uh…so Koneko didn't take it well?" Saitama asked, staring at her bleeding side.

"That does not look like a wound inflicted by Koneko's claws. It looks too clean." Genos went to collect the medical supplies, leaving her to join Saitama at the table.

She sank to her knees and sighed in frustration. "S-Sonic…sort of ambushed me when I returned from dropping off Koneko…"

He stared at her for a moment and frowned. "Why is there blood on your mouth? Is it yours or his?"


	16. Chapter 16

It had only been two days since her fight with Sonic, but she was determined to get stronger. Her wounds had been healing at a quick pace, with the exception of the fresh cut on her side and the bruises on the left side of her face. Noriko went about her usual strength training with Saitama in the morning and soon after found herself facing Genos in an uninhabited area outside of the city. _It's just for practice_ , she reminded herself. She unsheathed her blades and braced herself, not quite sure if he would attack first.

The cyborg had been reluctant to accept her challenge to a sparring match. He knew that her wounds were not completely healed; he had been tending to them each time the bandages needed changed. "Are you sure that you want to do this?" he inquired, hoping that she would change her mind. It was evident in her frown that she was not going to back down.

"I'm sure." Noriko glanced to Saitama, who was sitting on the sidelines and seemed to be watching two squirrels chase each other. _I need to practice for the next time Sonic attacks me. I hate feeling weak! I'll show him that I'm strong!_ With no further words, she rushed forward with her blades at her sides. Even she was surprised with the speed at which she approached Genos. He put up his forearms to block the swords and pushed back, sending her skidding over the ground. She quickly regained her balance and leapt back to avoid a strike from him.

The wind was blowing strongly and raised goosebumps on her bare arms. Her mind raced as she tried to determine her next attack. He was pursuing her, striking with fists as she jumped back again and again. She pivoted and dodged around him, the hilt of one sword slamming into the back of his right shoulder before she felt her ankle hooked on something. Noriko used it to twist and lift her sword to block another strike. Sparks flew up where her sword connected with his metal forearm and when they both jumped back, she felt her heart skip a beat. _Damn it! Now isn't the time to get distracted! Getting close to him though…_

"Hey, how about kicking it up a notch and making it interesting?" Saitama called.

"Hn…interesting how?" Her tail flicked subconsciously behind her as she looked at the man. _What is he going to suggest?_

"You guys should just go all out."

"Master Saitama, she is still healing and-" Genos started to protest, but quieted when Saitama held up a hand.

"I'm not saying you should try to kill each other, but think about it. Nya-chan wants to be able to fight Sonic. In a real fight, he's not going to pull any punches and neither would any other real enemy. The rat monster didn't, did he? So just spar as if she was me."

Her eyes widened. _There's a huge difference between you and me, Saitama! How can you think this is a good idea?! I'm going to die!_ She quickly looked to Genos and her pulse quickened. "Uh…?"

"Alright. I will fight as if this is real," the blonde agreed.

"M-maybe we should think about this a little more? I mean, I'm still injured and-!" Noriko moved swiftly to dodge a blast from the cyborg's palm. Another soon followed and another, forcing her to move quickly in order to evade his attacks. She activated the electrical currents in her swords and briefly wondered if she could use them to block the blasts. Her biggest worries were that it would fail or that it would work and send the blast back at him. _I don't want to hurt him! And he doesn't want to hurt me, right? Why did it take such a small amount of convincing for him to agree to this?!_

"Maybe try _fighting back_ , Nya-chan!"

Gritting her teeth, the catgirl decided to test her idea. She turned as a blast came toward her and lifted her swords. To her irritation, her second worry came true. The blades threw the blast back at him and pushed Genos back a few feet. Swearing under her breath, Noriko lowered her swords. "I-I didn't mean to! Are you okay?!"

He appeared a little taken aback by the turn of events, but shook it off. "Are you alright?"

"Wh-why are you asking if _I'm_ alright?! _You_ were the one that it hit!"

"You guys are getting distracted!" Saitama called from the sidelines.

"Right." Genos narrowed his eyes and rushed toward her. The girl was quick to jump back in order to avoid him, but he still managed to grab her wrist and turn sharply. Her body flew through the air, slamming into a rock wall and sliding to the grass below. Like a cat, she landed on her feet and glared back at him. He lifted an arm in her direction, his gaze locked on her. His mechanical heart was racing. "Incinerate."

Noriko saw the flames rapidly approaching her and barely had time to duck and roll to avoid burning alive. The grass around the area was singed, the rock wall blackened where the flames had struck against it. She briefly looked toward it before adjusting her grip on her swords.

"Whoa! Hang on a second! That was a little intense, Genos!"

"You said to fight as if I was fighting you, Master Saitama." He ran at Noriko, moving to hit with his right arm. She caught it between her blades and growled lowly at the back of her throat. His left hand lifted, his palm pointing to the center of her chest. "Incinerate."

Her eyes clenched shut in anticipation of death, but found her body suddenly flying through the air and smacking into the side of a dead tree. "Agh! Wh-what?!" She looked over to find Saitama standing near Genos. It took very little time to come to the conclusion that he had rushed over and thrown her in order to save her. _Damn it! I had to be saved though, didn't I?! I'm never going to get stronger at this rate!_ Noriko pushed herself to stand, but could feel bruises forming on her side. It was her wounded side that had hit the tree so, in addition to the bruising, she could feel a little blood running from the wound.

"Sit down, Nya-chan. This sparring match is over."

"I-I'm not done! I can keep fighting!" she argued. The girl rushed forward as Genos turned and struck down at his shoulders with both swords. They were caught in his hands and she released a snarl of frustration. "You want to play bare-handed? Fine!" She planted a foot on his chest and used it to flip backwards, putting distance between them. Now without her swords, the girl brandished her sharp nails like claws and bared her fangs. Swiping at him did little so she sprang back, moving in a predatory manner.

Saitama worried that things might escalate again, but knew that trying to stop them was a losing battle. Noriko was determined to continue and Genos seemed to be stuck in some sort of combat mode. He leaned back against the rock wall, watching Noriko's ears go back. A hiss left her and he had to try to hide his laugh. "Look, I don't want to have to take care of you both if you get hurt so just take it down a notch."

The smell of her own blood was starting to affect her and she hated it. The metallic aroma ignited her feline fighting instincts, which drove her to her next horrible action. Noriko ran at Genos and, before he could lift his hand to try to incinerate her again, she closed the distance between them. She jumped, legs wrapping around his waist as her sharp fangs scraped over the side of his neck. Her nails frantically tried to sink into his back, but only succeeding in lightly tearing the back of his shirt.

Thankfully for everyone, it threw him off and Genos simply stood there in alarm instead of trying to fight her. He could feel her trying to bite into his neck with no success and waited patiently for her to tire of it. When her arms wrapped around him to hold her up, he carefully put an arm around her waist to help her. "Your wound opened again. I am sorry, Noriko. I might have taken our sparring session too seriously."

Her heart was pounding in her chest as she came down from her feline instinct rush and leaned her head against his shoulder. "…you tried to incinerate me…" she murmured.

"I apologize. I was trying to follow Master Saitama's directions."

"…you tried to incinerate me _twice_ …" Noriko winced when she was pulled away from Genos and settled on Saitama's back. "I-I can walk back on my own!"

"Not going to happen. Just hold onto me, okay?" He turned his gaze to Genos now, who was silently trying not to be angry about him carrying Noriko. "I know I said to go all out, but there's a fine line between sparring and murder. What if I hadn't been here?"

"I was only doing as you said. You wanted us to spar as if it was a real fight."

"If you were really fighting _her_. I didn't mean to act like she's a monster and incinerate her." Saitama started to walk away, pausing once to adjust his hold on the girl. "So what are we having for dinner tonight?"

She closed her eyes and let her head rest against his upper back. _I'm pathetic. That's all there is to it. Saitama thinks I'm so weak that I have to be carried back. It's just a minor wound and it's not even that fresh. It's not as if I'd bleed out on my way home._ Noriko could feel tears forming in the corners of her eyes as he started to run. "I want sushi."

"What? That's expensive!"

"If Noriko wants sushi, I will get us some," Genos spoke up from beside him. "I will meet you both back at the apartment."

Saitama watched him go and sighed. It took little time to get back to the apartment and when they arrived, he immediately set about changing out of his hero costume. The catgirl sat at the table in her blood-stained shirt, slouching and looking absolutely crestfallen. He stood staring for a moment. "You should probably change your shirt. That looks gross."

"I…don't see the point."

"It might get infected." Saitama turned on the television and sat beside her, but made no move to pet behind her ears. Instead, he was trying to decipher her sudden bad mood. When they had left for the sparring session, she had seemed excited. She was energetic and ready to fight. It was as if all of that enthusiasm had drained out of her. "Are you bummed out about Genos almost burning you alive?"

She turned her gaze to him and raised an eyebrow. "How can you ask that so casually?"

"So is that why you're upset?" Saitama heard her growl and finally reached over to pat the top of her head. "Calm down, kitty."

Her ears flattened in irritation, but she did feel somewhat calmer. A hissing sort of sigh escaped the girl as she stole a glance toward the apartment door. "You know…I want to get stronger. You _know_ that, Saitama."

"I know that," he agreed. "So what's wrong? You're upset about having to stop?"

"I'm upset that I had to be rescued. I'm upset that I got into that position and wasn't able to get myself out of it. Ngh! D-don't touch my tail!" She waited for him to pull his hand away from her tail and huffed. "Although…I am a little upset that he was so quick to try to burn me."

He turned his attention to the television, not wanting to dwell too much on what had happened. Not wanting to think about what might have happened if he had not thrown her out of the way of the flames. Not wanting to think about how his simple suggestion had turned into one of his friends almost being killed by his other friend. "So the next time you fight Sonic, do you think you'll be able to do more damage?"

"…yeah…" Her thoughts turned to Sonic, remembering their last encounter. _That creepy smile of his. And he keeps showing me the scar on his neck like it means something. I only bit him to try to get away from him._ Her face started to turn pink, but by this point Saitama appeared invested in the anime they were watching. She subconsciously fidgeted with the tip of her tail, lowering her gaze to the floor. Noriko remembered how the ninja's body felt against hers, how it had felt when they were intimate. _My first. Why did it have to be him? He's Saitama's enemy…sort of. Saitama doesn't pay him any attention, but they're still enemies. And besides…I'm supposed to be dating Genos._ This brought forth a bunch of other thoughts, all revolving around Genos, and her face went from pink to red.

"Are you having dirty thoughts again, Nya-chan? Your face is changing colors."

"No…I just…"

"You're thinking about Genos?" At this, her face turned even redder. "This is getting awkward."

"Y-yeah." She released the tip of her tail and turned her attention to her bag of clothes. _Clean shirt, clean shirt. Ugh. Dinosaur shirt? I guess it will do._ Noriko turned her back to Saitama and pulled off her soiled t-shirt and bandage. After sticking a new bandage to the cut on her side, she slipped a clean shirt on over her head. _Why did it have to be the dinosaur shirt?_

"Do you think he'll be back soon? I'm starving."

Noriko dug further in her bag and withdrew a pack of candy. "Um…you want some?" She was glad when he took a few pieces, not wanting to look like a glutton as she ate some. "I guess…even though I didn't want to need to be saved…thank you for saving me."

The apartment door opened to admit Genos, who paused for a moment to look at his companions. "Why are you eating candy before dinner? Did I take too long?"

"What's wrong with candy before dinner? We're working up an appetite eating it."

Noriko smothered a laugh and her eyes grew wide as a tray of sushi was set on the table. Her mouth instantly began to water, much to her irritation. _I know it's my feline instincts reacting to the smell of the fish, but it's embarrassing!_

Saitama took notice of her reaction and smiled. "Look how excited she is."

"I-I'm not-!" She quieted when she felt the back of one of her ears being stroked. A soft purring issued forth that made Saitama's smile grow.

"Okay, now how about apologizing again?"

"I am sorry that I almost incinerated you, Noriko." Genos switched his hand to her other ear, feeling her purr vibrate through her body.

"I…accept your apology," she muttered, her face turning pink again.

"And I'm sorry that I suggested you go all out. Definitely not doing _that_ again." The bald hero reached for a piece of sushi and saw the girl's eyes widen again, pupils dilating. "Hey, how would you react to catnip? Have you ever been around it before?"

She dragged the food closer to her and bared her fangs briefly. "This is _mine_. And to answer your question, no. I haven't been around catnip since I became this way." Noriko saw Saitama reach for another piece and snarled at him. "What part of 'mine' did you not get?"

Genos watched this interaction silently, not sure of how to feel. There was a sense of guilt in that he could have killed her during their match. At the same time, there was a feeling of jealousy at seeing how easy it was for Saitama to cheer her up. She was his girlfriend and he had nearly killed her. He should be the one to make her feel better.


	17. Chapter 17

"Something seems different."

Noriko was standing in the kitchen, attempting to make dinner before Genos returned from fighting a monster. Saitama was sitting in the other room, watching the news. "It's pretty warm today," she pointed out. "So…maybe it seems different because the fan is on?"

"That's not it." He was now staring at her, trying to determine what seemed different.

She spared him a glance, frowned, and returned her gaze to the curry she was making. _This was a bad idea. The kitchen feels a thousand times warmer with this cooking._ A feeling of extreme unease settled in the pit of her stomach and she shifted her eyes to the side. Noriko jumped a little at how close Saitama was suddenly standing. "Uh…what?"

He stared for a moment longer before smiling. "It's your hair. You always have it down."

Truth be told, she had pulled her hair up into a ponytail and left two strands hanging at either side of her face to hide her scarred, useless human ears. When she had been altered by Kenta, her human ears had been rendered useless in order for her to have use of her cat ears. "D-does it look weird or something?"

"No. It's actually pretty cute."

Noriko shook her head. "It's just too warm to have it down. Wait! What are you doing? Don't-!" She tried to jump away when he moved to push a strand of hair behind her human ear. It was too late and he glimpsed it. "I-it's gross, right?"

"Not really. It's just kind of weird. I guess I didn't realize that you had two sets of ears." The apartment door opened and it proved a good distraction because he immediately went to check who it was. "Oh. Hey, Genos. How'd it go?"

She heard him start to explain what had happened and frowned down at the curry. _It's been a couple of weeks since the incident, but I still feel weird around him. I didn't really get hurt when we sparred. Not really. I just opened the injury that Sonic gave me._ Her left ear twitched as she heard him approach and refused to lift her gaze. "…welcome home…" On the inside, she began to curse herself for sounding like a housewife.

"Your hair looks different. I like it."

"Hn…it's just too warm to have it down." Noriko's body stiffened when she felt an arm wrap around her waist from behind. _What is he doing?_ She could feel him kissing the side of her neck and it sent a pleasant shiver through her. "G-Genos, wait-"

"I don't intend to take it further than this right now," he assured her. Though it was meant to ease her worries, it was also a promise for later.

"Hey, would you guys mind _not_ doing that in front of me? It's kind of bumming me out."

"Sorry, Master Saitama." Genos left the kitchen to sit with him in the other room.

Saitama scratched at his stomach beneath his shirt and frowned. "You guys look like a newlywed couple when you do that."

Noriko's cheeks started to burn and she move to plate their food. _Why did he have to say that?! That's just embarrassing!_ She carried the plates out to the table and began to eat in silence as the other two talked. Every so often she would look at the television, still worrying about Koneko. There had been no word from her, which could mean that she was thriving in the forest or that she was dead. She had contemplated visiting Koneko, but worried about inadvertently leading people to her.

"Ugh. If it's this hot tomorrow, we might have to actually turn on the air conditioning," Saitama commented. He pulled the fan closer so it was directed at him, seemingly unaware of the others. "I wonder if we still have ice cream in the fridge. Wait, didn't I finish it yesterday? Damn."

 _Is he talking to us or to himself?_ She finished her meal and stood to take the plate to the sink. The girl stretched her arms over her head, her tail curling at the end as a satisfied sigh left her. _Alright. I guess I'll see if we have ice cream. Genos usually keeps the fridge stocked, but he was gone most of the day so…_ She opened the fridge and frowned. There sat an empty ice cream container on its side, lacking a lid. "…out of ice cream…" A glance over showed that her friends were still sitting at the table, their attention focused on their conversation. "Uh, I'm making a snack run, I guess? Any requests?"

Her question was met with no answer. Deciding to just surprise them both, Noriko put on her sneakers and set off for the convenience store. Outside, it actually felt cooler. There was a light breeze blowing and it seemed to energize her. She felt a small smile settling onto her face as she walked and greeted each person she passed. The convenience store felt even better with the air conditioning on so she stood in the ice cream section for a long moment, savoring the cold air.

"Ah! It's _you_! How are you?! I saw you on the news the other night fighting a monster with that Class S hero Genos!" the clerk exclaimed.

"Um…y-yeah. I'm fine." She awkwardly rubbed the back of her neck and tilted her head. "Did you…need another autograph?" she finally asked when she found him giving her a hopeful stare. Noriko scribbled it onto a paper he offered her and turned her gaze back to the ice cream.

"Er…that guy. That one guy that kidnapped you the last time you came here. He keeps coming here. Like _every day_."

 _Sonic?!_ Noriko gave the clerk her full attention now. "…he does…?"

"I try to call for someone. It's usually Mumen Rider that shows up. But he's always gone by the time they get here." The young man paused. "I think he expects to run into _you_ or something. It's really weird. He comes in and just walks around the store. And he does it around the same time every day. You missed him today though; he already came and left."

She grabbed three random ice cream treats and paid for them, not wanting to risk running into Sonic. The walk back to the apartment was much less relaxing. The girl glanced over her shoulder frequently and was careful when approaching corners or dark alleys. _If he's actively looking for me here in town, that means he must want revenge for what I did last time. Just what is he planning though?_

Opening the apartment door revealed that Saitama was missing and Genos was finishing the dishes. Noriko tilted her head and carefully moved around the blonde to put away the ice cream. "Did Saitama go somewhere?"

"He said that he had errands." The cyborg looked over as she opened the fridge and bent down to put the ice cream away. When she straightened, she gave him a curious look. He left the kitchen and sat in the other room, looking at the dark television screen and trying to clear his mind.

She followed and sat beside him, also looking at the screen. "Um…do you think he'll be back soon?"

"I don't know."

Noriko saw his hand curl into a fist and frowned. _Is he mad? Did they get in an argument or something? I've never seen him get mad at Saitama._ Her ears went back and she slouched a little. The silence did nothing to make her feel more at ease. _Sonic is looking for me and now Genos is mad. What if he's mad at me? Wait…did I do anything to make him angry?_ She turned her head and saw his fist clench tighter. "…Genos…?"

In one quick movement, he had her on her back and was staring down at her. It had been almost a month since they had last been intimate. The thought had crossed his mind a few times since then, but a lot had happened. The worst, of course, being their sparring match. The past two weeks had been trying. She seemed to have forgiven him for almost killing her, but at the same time she seemed to be avoiding him. In particular, being alone with him.

"G-Genos…um…" Noriko stared back at him, her cheeks turning pink. Her body tensed beneath his when he wordlessly leaned down and kissed along her neck. The girl's arms went around him, fingertips pressed tight against his back. "Wh-what are you-?" She felt his hips push down on hers and it made her subconsciously buck her own upwards.

"Do you want to try something new?" he asked, lips brushing over her neck.

"Aaaaah…y-yes…" She felt a chilled hand slip beneath the hem of her skirt, fingertips tracing over her pale thigh. _How is this going to be different than the first time though? And where does he get these ideas from?_ Her arms were torn from around his neck as he moved back, dragging her panties down her legs and off of her. "W-wait a second. What are you…? I mean, what is it that you want to try?" Noriko knew that her face was bright red as she asked this.

"I want this to be a surprise." His gold and black eyes fixed on her green ones. "I need you to close your eyes, Noriko." Genos waited patiently for her to obey and, as an added precaution, lifted her arm to put it across her eyes.

She heard the rustle of cloth and nervously sank a fang into her bottom lip. _But what is he planning? He said it was something new._ Noriko could feel the chilled air from the fan against her warm, bare flesh and it made her shiver. It was embarrassing enough to be lying there on the floor with no panties on, but to also be blinded made it worse. _No, even worse than that…I can feel myself getting wet. This is so embarrassing!_ An alarmed yelp escaped her as her shirt and bra were pulled up to expose her chest. "G-Genos?"

Without a word, he lifted Noriko and moved her so she hovered over his lap. Her eyes had opened slightly when he moved her, but snapped open wide when he drew her sharply down against him. He was sitting back against the wall and tilted his head back when he felt her warmth engulf him. She gripped his shoulders tightly, gritting her teeth to hold back any sounds that might escape her. Unlike last time, there were no loud noises to drown out their vocalizations. Her chest pressed against his metal chest as she silently nuzzled her face against the side of his neck.

The two remained still for a moment as her muscles stretched to accommodate him. She could feel that he was holding back. Though it frightened her to think of what it would be like for him to do as he wanted, she rubbed her cheek against his neck in encouragement. Convincing herself that this was like strength training in a way, she opened her mouth. "Genos…you don't have to hold back."

"I don't want to hurt you." There was pain in the words. He half-opened his eyes and saw that she had leaned back slightly. She met his gaze and licked her lips slowly, nervously. When she lifted herself a little and then pushed back down, he released a soft groan that made her blush even more vibrantly. She repeated the action over and over. "If I hurt you again-"

"You won't. It won't hurt. I'm telling you to just…do what feels right." Silently hoping that she would not live to regret these words, she pressed her lips against his. One hand wandered up from his shoulder and to the side of his face, caressing his cheek. It was cold and smooth to the touch, but she somehow knew that he could feel it and enjoyed it. "Do it."

Genos needed no further encouragement. Immediately, he began to thrust up and into her at a rapid pace. Her breasts bounced against his chest, her breath warm against the side of his neck as she released small moans and squeaks of pleasure. Her eyes closed tightly and she threw her head back when he hit particularly deep within her, biting her lip. Genos watched as she licked her lips once more, before parting them and releasing a louder moan. Her fangs flashed for a brief instant in the sunlight pouring in from the open porch door. The feeling of her warm, wet opening sliding along his length felt divine. The problem now was that he could feel his lust increasing as he looked down at her. She caught his gaze and held it for a moment before she rubbed her warm body against his.

Noriko could feel the pleasure growing in her lower half, like a knotted string coiling tighter and tighter with each thrust of his hips. The tip of his hard cock was hitting a point deep within her and it was becoming increasingly difficult to withhold her sounds. A few had already escaped her and it was bound to be embarrassing if she had to face the neighbors later. She felt one of his hands slide up her side from her hip and the chilled metal cupped her breast. "Aaaaah! Genos, wait-!" His thumb rubbed over her nipple and her hips pressed down tight against his, her muscles clenching around him.

He felt the rush of her juices wash over his metal cock and it urged him on. Wrapping an arm around her, he lifted her and stood. He remained buried deep within her as he crossed the room and pushed her up against the wall. Her ankles locked together behind his back and he hammered his member into her, gritting his teeth to muffle his moans. As she panted, he watched her through half-closed eyes and continued to toy with the peak of her breast. He experimentally rolled it between his thumb and finger, receiving a pleasurable moan from the girl. "Do you like this?" He knew the answer already, but took pleasure in hearing her moan the confirmation. The corner of his mouth lifted as a smirk formed and he leaned in close. "Am I the only one that makes you feel this way, Noriko?"

She nodded, biting her lip. The girl realized that this was true. What she felt from Sonic was different. This feeling of being so close to Genos was warmer. _It's love. This is what love feels like_ , she thought as she kissed the side of his neck. Her hips started to thrust forward to meet him each time he moved to push into her and she panted. "It…it feels so good…to have you filling me up, Genos…" When the words registered, he started to move faster. Her spine slammed roughly against the wall as he fucked her harder. Noriko could feel his hand move to the back of her head, just in time to cushion it from hitting the wall as she threw it back to moan.

"Do you realize what words like that can do to someone?" he hissed, his other hand still at her breast. He pressed his palm against it, fingertips digging lightly into her chest as he felt her pulse racing. The blonde watched her face contort with pleasure as her muscles clenched around him a second time. Her body stiffened against his for a moment as her climax hit and when she seemed to have recovered, he pressed his lips against hers. Their hips met for a final time, burying his member as deep as possible without hurting her, and he felt his release hit.

Noriko held onto him as he climaxed and smothered his moan with her lips. When their kiss broke, he moved back to the floor and held her on his lap. She let her forehead rest against his shoulder as she tried to regain her breath. _Does this tire him out at all?_ She trailed her fingers through his soft blonde hair and felt his hand on her back, tenderly stroking up and down her spine. Much to her irritation, she began to purr. _Well…I'm sure this is a mood killer._

Genos gently lifted her chin with his free hand, making her look up at him. "Are you hurt? I tried to be careful, but I might have lost control for a while." She shook her head and leaned up to kiss him again, wrapping both arms around his neck.


	18. Chapter 18

NeonHorizon: I guess maybe I should say something since we've made it this far. First, it's cool that you're liking the story. Second, you probably want to know what my plans are. I didn't go into this with any sort of plan. Now, I wouldn't mind making it a long-running story. Or at least until I've reached a point where I think things are okay the way they are.

"So that is your natural hair color?"

Noriko raised an eyebrow and smiled slightly. "You know…you're actually the first person to ask me that," she stated, her tail curling at the end. "It is. Every woman on my mother's side of my family had purple hair." She leaned back on the bench, letting the sunlight warm her face and neck.

It was a relaxing sort of day, though a little strange. Noriko had gone to the convenience store, wanting to have time to herself for a while, and ran into Mumen Rider. They had started talking and somehow ended up sitting in the park together. She glanced over at him, curious as to why he had started talking to her in the first place. The two had rarely spoken in the past. They rarely seemed to cross paths to begin with. Though there had been an occurrence where they both showed up in a town that her sister had been supposedly terrorizing.

He was sitting a bit tensely beside her, with a foot of space between them. Mumen Rider had stopped in the store to check for the suspicious person that seemed to frequent it. When he ran into Samurai Catgirl, he had felt compelled to talk to her. After all, the clerk said that the suspicious person seemed to be stalking the girl. Somehow, the topic of discussion had drifted from that. "Are you alright? You look…" He stopped himself from finishing that sentence and bowed his head, not sure of how to fix what he started.

"Hn…well I killed my first monster yesterday…" she muttered, her ears going back. There were a few bruises on her exposed arms as well as a scratch across her right cheek that was healing.

"You don't seem happy about it."

"…I was only able to kill it because Saitama threw me at its face…" Noriko heard a small laugh escape him. She turned her head and saw him smiling now. _Well, at least he seems less tense._ The girl reached around in her bag and located the two ice cream treats that she had bought. "Want one?"

"Alright." He accepted it from her and they returned to silence for a while.

 _It's nice to have someone sort of normal to talk to_ , she thought. _Every time I talk to Saitama or Genos, it usually feels…different. Kind of weird._ She licked her ice cream, savoring the cold sweetness, and her ears perked forward once more. There were women with their children in the park, which usually made Noriko uneasy. Today they had no effect on her. Without Genos beside her, the women had their attention completely focused on their children. _It's nice to be able to sit in the park without being glared at._

She glanced over at her companion and raised an eyebrow again. "Um…it's been sort of warm for September, huh?"

He had made the mistake of glancing over when she licked her ice cream and found himself staring. Shaking his head, he hoped that his blush went unnoticed. Not that he was necessarily attracted to the catgirl. It was more about the way she was eating. "Yes, it's been hot," he agreed. "Ah! I mean, for September!"

 **Shift P.O.V**

The fact that he had been in the convenience store at the same time as both of them and neither of them noticed was driving him insane. Sonic had gone into the convenience store a little earlier than usual, more out of boredom than anything, and was surprised to see her there. Before he could make his move, Mumen Rider appeared out of nowhere and the two started talking. Sonic listened to their conversation from one aisle over, rolling his eyes at how painfully awkward the hero was. Not that he minded; it made him worry less about Noriko actually taking an interest in the man.

When they left the store, he followed them at a distance. He was still amazed at how incredibly unobservant they both were. _Or maybe they're just distracted? What are they even talking about now?_ The man was hiding across the park from them, in a tree, ignoring the small children that were slowly taking notice of his presence. His eyes narrowed on the two heroes, jealousy gradually setting in.

They talked for a while, but it was obvious that the man was unsure of how to talk to her. That was fine. It would have been perfectly fine and Sonic could have just left the park to find her another day. What made him stay was the way that she seemed completely at ease talking to Mumen Rider. It irritated him. He carefully made his way out of the tree, trying to look and act casual as he landed in the grass. The children clustered around him and he scowled, wading through them to the walkway. _Maybe if she sees me, she'll make the first move_ , he thought with confidence.

"Um…so you're dating Genos? Isn't it difficult for you to go on dates?"

The girl's face went red and she shrugged. "S-sort of. He gets called out a lot."

He walked past them as she bowed her head, fidgeting with the end of her tail. His brow furrowed as he passed them and continued on down the walkway, his fury building. _How did she not notice me?!_ Reaching the street, he looked over his shoulder. She was licking her ice cream as Mumen Rider talked and it was in a way that made the man blush. Sonic's jealousy spiked and he narrowed his eyes again.

 **Shift P.O.V**

Noriko finished her ice cream and her new friend seemed to relax again. _Maybe I should just stop eating ice cream around people_ , she thought with a frown. "So…are you seeing anyone?"

Instantly, his cheeks turned pink. "M-me?! No! I mean, not right now. I can get pretty busy so it would be difficult to date someone. And dating a regular citizen would be even more difficult; it might put them in danger."

"…that's true…"

"So where's Saitama today? You said that Genos was cleaning the apartment?"

She slouched a little. "Saitama…keeps disappearing suddenly. The other day, we rented a video and he left right in the middle of it. He didn't come back for a few hours, too. And he won't say where he went. It's weird."

"That is strange. Maybe he's training?"

Noriko laughed a little. "I doubt it." A shiver ran up her spine as she felt a rush air against the side of her face. Turning slightly, she found a shuriken buried in the bark of the tree behind her. _No way! Don't tell me-!_ The girl turned around to face forward and her green eyes met a pair of narrowed grey ones across the park. _Damn it!_

At her side, Mumen Rider was still theorizing what Saitama might be doing when he suddenly noticed the suspicious young man in dark clothing standing across the park from them. His gaze was fixed on the catgirl. "Is that the person who has been stalking you?"

"I…I'll take care of this. Can you try to evacuate the park in case it gets ugly?" Noriko stood and reached to one of the swords sheathed on her back. She took several steps forward, wary of how many people were still in the park with them. Mumen Rider was being fast about trying to get them to leave, but there were still a few stragglers. "Speed 'o Sound Sonic. Do you…really think _this_ is the place to challenge me to a fight?" she asked, trying her hardest to sound confident.

"How else am I supposed to get your attention?" His hand wandered to his own blade and he grinned wickedly. "And what's with the sudden formality? I thought we were closer than that!" The ninja rushed forward, swinging down with his blade. She dodged to the side and twisted, aiming her sword at his right shoulder. Of course, he moved before she could connect and observed her blade sinking into the grass.

She gritted her teeth and yanked it free, turning quickly to block another attack. Her eyes darted to the side, seeing the last of the stragglers flee the park. Now it was just her, Sonic, and Mumen Rider. The other hero was at the edge of the playground, ready to join her if she needed help. _I can do this on my own though! I've been training for this!_ Noriko's mind raced with options until she settled on one that she liked. One that was sure to distract the ninja long enough for her to escape and relocate to somewhere more secluded. She leaned in close, her blade still locked with his, and snickered. "What? Don't tell me…you're still sore from our _last_ fight?"

Sonic fumed and jumped back, glowering at her. "I'm going to make you pay for what you did to me!"

"Oh really?" Her tail flicked back and forth. "Well what are you waiting for?" The girl blinked and her eyes widened when she not only realized that he was no longer in the same place, but that there was a body pressed against her back. _Wait! What is he going to do?!_ An arm wrapped around her, just beneath her bust, and a hand gripped her right wrist tightly. "S-Sonic, wait-!"

"That's more like it!" He jerked her right arm toward her sharply, slamming the blunt end of her sword's hilt into her stomach. She gasped and stumbled forward when he released her. As she regained her breath, he moved around to stand in front of Noriko. Threading his hand into her hair, he dragged her face closer to his. "So what should I do now? Look how worried your new friend is." He forced her head to turn, forcing her to face Mumen Rider.

"…he doesn't look _worried_ …he looks ready to _fight_ you," she muttered. With a few quick movements, Noriko tore from his hold and bashed him in the ribs with the hilt of her sword. She hated to run, but knew it was her best option. _Not running away_ , she reminded herself. _I have to lead him away from here before he does something stupid like-!_

"Exploding shuriken!"

She winced and leapt out of the way, just in time to avoid the explosion. The walkway was cracked and blackened where the shuriken hit. _Damn it! What if Mumen Rider hadn't evacuated everyone?! He could have hurt a kid!_ Noriko dodged more shuriken as she rushed to Mumen Rider. "I'm leading him away from people! Don't follow us!"

"Wait! Samurai Catgirl!"

"It's Noriko!" she called over her shoulder, already racing down the street. As she ran, she tried to first imagine the worst case scenario. _That would be if he goes after Mumen Rider or a civilian to try to get my attention. The best case scenario would be if I can lead him somewhere secluded and finally beat him. What would be the midway point then? This ending in a game of chess and shaking hands afterwards?_

"Do you think you can run away from me after what you did?!"

Noriko jumped, startled that Sonic was running alongside her with ease. Cursing herself for forgetting his speed, she attempted a half-smirk. "Who…said I was _running_ from you?"

"You were literally just running from me!" he fumed. "And did you think that what you were doing with that guy was okay?! It pisses me off!"

She dodged a swipe of his blade, just barely, and grimaced. "…are you _jealous_ or something…?" Noriko's body was knocked into the side of a building, making the wall crumble slightly. She silently thanked her improved speed; they were now in the abandoned part of the city. At the same time, she vaguely worried if she would be able to get out of this fight alive. There was true fury in the man's grey eyes as he glared down at her. Worse yet, he was beginning to grin.

"Were you _trying_ to make me jealous? Is that what that sickening little display was? If you wanted my attention, you should have just _said_ so." His blade's tip was shoved into the wall just beside her neck, making her flinch. "I don't know what makes me angrier. You ignoring me or you trying to get my attention. Well you have it now."

The girl was trembling slightly and not just from the threat of death. Her eyes closed and, summoning forth as much confidence as possible, she smirked. "I don't _want_ it."

"What?! Oh, you think you're being funny?" Sonic leaned in so close that she could feel his breath on her neck. "You can't just do that to someone and get away with it!"

"…so _what_ …?" Her fingers curled tightly around the hilt of her sword, wishing that she had unsheathed both of them. "I'm sorry."

"I don't believe you."

"Fine. Because I didn't mean it just now."

"Look at me!" He gripped her jaw tightly, watching her wince at the pain. It was now that he noticed the cuts and bruises on her. "You're still wasting your time fighting with those losers?"

A low growl left her lips. "S-Saitama is my friend! And you know that Genos is my-!" Her words were cut off suddenly by the man closing the distance between them, his mouth covering hers. The girl's free hand went to his chest and pushed hard, but he refused to budge. _Damn it! Not here in the open! No, not at all! I can't do this!_ She shifted her legs with the intent to knee him in the groin and was startled when he moved both of his legs between hers.

He broke the kiss and grinned down at her evilly. "Did you really think I would let you do that a second time?"

"I-I can't do this! You know I can't!" For a brief instant, she contemplated raising her sword and stabbing him through the back. _But I might stab through his body into mine and I don't really want to kill him. I need to come up with a plan._ She bit her lip and lifted her gaze to his. "…n-not out here…"

His grin seemed to grow and he held her chin again. "You think you have a say in this? I've waited weeks to get back at you for what you did to me. I've had weeks to think about what I want to do to you. What kind of punishment you deserve for hurting me the way you did." Her face was quickly turning red as he pushed his hips tight against hers. "What do you think I'm going to do to you, Noriko?"

Her mind was reeling, shifting quickly from thought to thought. The first was the worry that Mumen Rider had actually followed them, which could result in her new friend's injury and the discovery of her relationship with Sonic. The second worry was that Genos would realize how long she had been gone and start searching for her. He would definitely be able to find her; he had told her about the last time he had to look for the girl. The third worry was that she would lose focus, like she always did. _I can't though! I need to focus on a way to beat him!_

When she remained silent, he quirked an eyebrow and then smirked. "Fine. We can keep it a surprise. I think I would like it better that way. I can enjoy the look on your face when you see what I have planned for you."


	19. Chapter 19

"Wh-why did you bring me here?" The wind blew through her long purple hair and she shivered at the chill. Noriko had been carried to a mountain that was heavily forested and was now glaring at Sonic. The man had dropped her roughly onto the ground and now stood a few feet away, wearing that grin that gave her goose bumps.

"I caught and released twenty-three people into these woods a few days ago."

"… _so_ …?"

"You're going to kill them for me." He crossed his arms and gave her a triumphant smirk.

She tilted her head, ears twitching slightly. "Hn. And _why_ …would I do that for you? I'm also curious. Why did you kidnap that many people? Is that just your thing?"

His smirk began to falter, his brows knitting in frustration. "They're all people that I was hired to eliminate this month. With your help, I can take care of them all in one go. As for why you're doing this for me, it's so I'll let you go. For _today_."

The girl scowled. "Do you really think-?"

"Or maybe I'll just let you go anyway. I'm sure your sister would do a better job of killing these people. I wonder where she is. Didn't you say that she's vicious?"

Noriko took a step toward Sonic, biting the inside of her cheek. "Don't you _dare_!"

"Twenty-three people. With both of us going after them, it shouldn't take too long. Besides, I doubt that they were able to make it through the forest to safety."

 _Both of us, huh?_ She looked over her shoulder, toward the forest. The thought of killing people made her stomach hurt. _They're bad though, right? Why else would he kill them?_ As much as she hated to do it, she hated the thought of him going after Koneko even more. "If I help you kill all twenty-three of them…"

"We'll see how I feel after they're dead." He rushed off, quickly disappearing.

With a sigh of frustration, she set off as well. She had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach that what she was doing was wrong. _I know it's wrong! I don't know a thing about these people, but here I am!_ As she thought this, she drove a sword deep into the chest of a burly man she had encountered. He appeared surprised and swung his fist at her head, but she pulled away and quickly beheaded him. She winced as his head rolled to her feet. _Twenty-three people. Why does he have so many assignments? Are people really that hateful?_ Noriko turned swiftly to avoid a bullet speeding at her. With a leap forward, she landed on a man's waist and lifted her sword over her head, bringing it down deep into his throat.

The girl wandered the mountainside for a while, searching for more prey. As much as the human side of her hated this, the feline side was enjoying the hunt. When she began to find only corpses, she slowed her steps and finally rested against a tree. Her shorts and tank top were splattered with blood. It was had splashed her arms and legs as well, dotting her hands and neck. _I feel disgusting in more ways than one._ Noriko wiped her swords on a dead man's shirt and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. _Are they all dead? I think I got around thirteen people. So where's Sonic?_

As she stood there, she found herself wondering about Mumen Rider. He would most likely have gone to Genos and told him that she was fighting Sonic. This would mean Genos would be looking for her. Fear settled in her heart at the thought of him seeing her covered in blood. _Human blood. From strangers. I don't know if they were good or bad. What kind of people they were. They died because of me._ She sheathed her blades and wrapped her arms around herself, sliding the down the tree trunk until she sat on the grass. "…awful…"

"It's pretty disgusting. Some of them even groveled." Sonic looked down at her and raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong with you?"

"I-I just killed complete strangers! And…and I don't even…know if they were bad people or not!" Her body shook as she tried to withhold sounds of despair.

"Well half of them were just unlucky and pissed off the wrong people."

"…you're so great at cheering people up…"

He watched her curl up in a ball, drawing her legs to her chest and bowing her head. "If _you_ didn't kill them, I would have done it and they would have suffered more." When her eyes lifted, blazing angrily, he smirked. "You look angry, but I know that you enjoyed yourself. Almost as much as you're going to enjoy the next part."

Completely ignoring the last sentence, Noriko hissed lowly at him. "If the Hero Association finds out about this…I'll be thrown in _jail_! I'll be blacklisted as a villain or a monster! So…if your plan was to make it so I'll want to abandon my hero status and become like you…you're going to be disappointed when I'm rotting in a jail cell!"

Sonic crouched in front of her and lifted her chin, his grey eyes meeting her green ones. "Just don't let yourself get caught. If I have to break you out of jail, I won't be happy."

Her face started to turn red at how close he was to her. "…I'm covered in blood…"

"So am I." He leaned in a bit closer, delighting in the way she seemed to blush even deeper. "You can stop pretending to be mad at me."

She drew back further against the tree. "I-I'm not _pretending_! Genos…is going to be looking for me, you know!"

"I don't care. In fact, I hope he _does_ come. You weren't going to tell him about me anyway." He stood and took a step back, holding out his hand to her. "Get up. We're moving."

Noriko remained curled up in a ball. "I'm not going anywhere else with you."

He frowned and watched her tail flick back and forth beside her. In less than a second, he was gripping her tail tightly in his hand and tugged. She cried out and quickly covered her mouth. Tilting his head, he began to grin. "Are you going to come with me or will I have to drag you by your tail?"

"Ngh! F-fine!" She pushed herself to stand, refusing to take his offered hand, and walked behind him with her eyes on the ground. _What's going to happen to me? If the Hero Association finds out, they'll definitely want to put me in jail! They'll think I turned evil!_ The thought of this happening was bad enough, but when she thought about Saitama and Genos learning about the incident, she began to feel sick to her stomach. They would want nothing to do with her. Genos might even attack her. _I would die!_

The ninja stopped walking and glanced over his shoulder at Noriko. Her head was bowed and she was fidgeting with the end of her tail, lost in thought. She looked worried, fearful even. This would be fine if this fear was caused by him, but he knew better. She was obviously worrying about what her precious cyborg boyfriend would think about her killing innocent people. He turned toward her and crossed his arms, ignoring the blood splattered all over the front of his shirt. "So? What are you waiting for?"

"Wh-what?" Noriko lifted her gaze and frowned upon realizing that they had come to a stop in front of a small hot spring. "…Sonic…?"

He smirked and took a step closer to her, a hand moving to tug at the hem of her shirt. "Take it off. Or do you not care if it gets wet?"

She tried to take a step back, but his free hand braced against her lower back to keep her close. "I don't-!"

"Look. We're both covered in blood. Even if your boyfriend came for you, don't you think it might look bad if you're covered in someone else's blood? Not that _I_ care what he thinks of you." Sonic paused, waiting for a reaction from her. Hoping for some sort of reaction from her. Instead, she seemed to sink back into her thoughts and worries. "Fine. I'll go first then."

The second he stepped away from her, Noriko's brain screamed at her to run. Rather than bolt, she stood frozen as he smirked and pulled his shirt off over his head. Instantly, her face turned pink. _Damn it! I haven't…actually seen him like this before. Does he think this is going to change my mind? Really?_ Despite her irritation, she found her eyes wandering up and down his chest while he stretched. Her heart beat a little faster and she growled lowly. "…think you're being _cute_ , doing that…?"

"What? I'm just getting ready to wash off this blood."

The girl turned her head to the side as he started to pull down his pants, refusing to humor him. The blood was starting to dry on her skin and clothes, the aroma making her stomach turn. _Damn it…but if I do get close to him, I know I'll lose focus again._ A hand gripped her jaw tightly and forced her head to turn toward him.

The man smirked, running his thumb over her lower lip. "I told you that there was a second part to this, didn't I? Or did you think that eliminating my targets would be enough?" Her face started to turn red as he leaned down, pressing his lips roughly against hers

 _Why does he do this?! Every time he sees me, he thinks we either have to fight or do something like this! Why can't we just have a normal conversation?_ Her lips moved against his, her body trembling with nervousness. She could feel the warmth of his skin through her clothes and it made heat pool in her lower half. _He's…naked. Why is he doing this?!_ His hands went to her hips, slipping beneath the hem of her shirt and slowly dragging it off of her. Goose bumps rose on her skin in the chilled air and she shivered.

Sonic knew she had trouble resisting him. For whatever reason, they were drawn to each other. Rather than question it, he just went with it. He broke the kiss, pulling away and giving her a smug half-grin. "Don't make me keep waiting." He watched her strip and took a moment to stare at where her tail connected to her body.

She moved past him when her clothes were off and slipped into the water, determined to keep her distance now. The girl could feel him watching her and frowned before taking a deep breath. Letting the water close over her head, she felt oddly comforted. This lasted a very short time, her peace shattered by the ninja's arm wrapping around her from behind. Noriko broke the surface and scowled at the pleasant feeling of his skin against hers. She could feel his stiff member pressing against her backside and it made her face turn a bright shade of red. "Wh-what are you doing?"

"What does it feel like I'm doing?" He shifted a hand between them, adjusting himself so the head of his cock pressed between her lower lips. The arm around her waist moved slightly to let him cover her left breast with his other hand. "You know that you missed me."

"…why would I miss you when I have _Genos_ …?" she said in a growl.

"Trying to make me _jealous_?" His hips thrust hard against hers, driving his member deep into her entrance. A cry of surprise left her lips, her body tensing in his hold. Her muscles were tight around him, making it hard to maintain control. He wanted to start moving, but forced himself to wait. With her muscles so tight, it could hurt both of them. "What did you _think_ was going to happen? Did you think I would just ignore it?"

"Ngh! S-Sonic, just…w-wait a second!" Noriko felt him pull out a little before pushing back in, hard. The arm holding her against him tightened when she started to squirm. His fingertips brushed over her nipple and her back arched, a soft moan leaving her. She turned her head, intending to glare at him, but instead found her lips meeting his. Another moan tried to escape her as he started to thrust into her, the sound muffled by him. The feeling of warm, bare skin against hers was strange, yet pleasant. At the same time, it angered the girl _. Genos doesn't feel like this. His body isn't warm like this._ Fear settled in the pit of her stomach as she thought of Genos. Her eyes closed and she bit his bottom lip.

He smirked into the kiss, massaging her breast to feel more moans vibrate through her. When she released his lip, he licked along hers until she gave him access to her mouth. His free hand went to her hip for a moment, lingering as he determined his next move. Optimally, he would have her moaning his name. Even as he thought this, another thought came to him. That, at some point, she might have moaned _his_ name. Her boyfriend's name. Sonic thrust harder, his free hand going to her clit and rubbing it quickly.

She was sensitive from the warm water and his actions soon had her screaming, the sound muffled by his mouth. The pleasure building in her lower half was too much and her muscles clenched around him tightly. Her body tensed for a second and then relaxed into his hold. He drew out of her, but held on until she seemed able to stand on her own again. When Noriko felt her strength return to her, she scowled and pulled away from him. Turning, she glared at the dark-haired man and felt her tail flick in agitation. "Wh-why do you always do this?"

"Do _what_? You're the one that always starts it."

"I didn't-!" She went silent, spotting the dangerous gleam in his eyes.

"I'm the _wrong_ person to make jealous. Now I'm going to show you why-" Sonic's eyes went wide when she launched herself at him, her arms going around his neck and her body pressing tight against his. It was startling, but sent a shiver of pleasure down his spine. "What? You want _more_?" he taunted. His member rubbed between her legs as she parted them, her face nuzzling into his shoulder when his arms went around her waist.

 _Why is it like this?!_ Noriko's hips began to grind against his, feeling the warm head of his cock nudge between her lower lips again. She ran a hand down his chest, skimming over scars and hard muscle. The heat of his skin beneath her fingertips seemed to only add to the warmth in her lower half. _Damn it. I hate this. Why does he have this effect on me? No matter how hard I fight it. No matter how hard I fight him. I can't win, can I? But I have to win!_ Without thinking about it, her fingers trailed lower on his body and curled around his member.

He inhaled sharply, his heart racing as he felt her grip him. She ran her hand along his length, gripping him just firmly enough for it to feel good. Sonic gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to thrust forward. Her body had drawn back a little so he took the opportunity to look at her bared skin. Like him, she also bore scars. Some older and some newer. In addition to the scars, he saw the remnants of deep bruises on her hips. He tilted his head, wondering how he had missed them before, but his thoughts soon shifted. She was kissing along the side of his neck and scraped her fangs over the scar she had left there. When her lips formed a tight seal on his skin, he stiffened.

Noriko sucked hard on the side of his neck, forming a deep bruise there, and pulled away with a smirk. "I won't let you beat me," she hissed in his ear.

"Ngh! Oh yeah? What makes you think I'll let you win?" Sonic pressed a hand between her legs, one finger slipping into her.

"Aaaah! I-I'm not…going to lose!" She tried to focus on what she was doing, determined to win at this least something as simple as bringing him to climax first. _This is completely ridiculous! Why are we doing this? It's going to look so bad if someone sees us!_


	20. Chapter 20

_We're over budget this week._ Noriko's eyes narrowed on the sheet of paper laying before her on the table. She looked through the receipts again, punching numbers into the calculator and trying to determine where they were overspending. A glance across the table at Saitama made her quirk an eyebrow. _He's staring at me again._ It had been a few days since her encounter with Sonic. She had managed to get away from him and get home just as they were about to leave to search for her. Now she was just trying to get things back to normal, but Saitama seemed convinced that something had happened to her while she was out that day. "Hn…what are you looking at?" she finally asked.

He leaned over to look at the budget sheet, his expression blank. "How's it look?"

"We're over budget this week." Her ears went back and she tapped the end of her pen against the table's surface. "I just…don't get it. Genos usually gets the groceries and pays the bills. He gave me his receipts so they add up, but there are some extras. Did he just pick them up off the street and mean to throw them away?"

"Huh? Wait, which ones?" Saitama lifted the stack of receipts that she pushed toward him and skimmed them briefly. "Oh, yeah. These are mine."

"Wh-what?! Saitama, why are you…I mean, why is there a receipt for so many snacks? Did they even make it to the apartment?"

He scratched his stomach beneath his shirt and shrugged. "I didn't think I got that many. Sheesh, I should pay better attention next time."

 _Just stop buying snacks! Why do you even buy them when I never see you eating them? You usually just take some of mine, don't you?_ Noriko set down her pen and sighed in frustration. She took a deep breath, trying to maintain a sense of calm, and felt him begin to pet behind her right ear.

"Don't worry about it. We fought more monsters recently, right?"

Despite her irritation, she began to purr and her tail curled in contentment. _What's wrong with him? He's usually so good about not spending a lot of money. Did he just stop caring?_ Noriko pulled away and stood, stretching briefly. She had intended to go make tea, but when she saw the time she frowned. _Genos still isn't back and it's getting close to dinner time._ A glance around the apartment showed that it was a little messier than usual. _He's only been gone since this morning. How did it get this bad this quickly?_

"Are you going to the store? We should have something with seaweed for dinner."

"Hn…I'm going to the store and grabbing the mail," she replied. "Do you want to go with me?" It was clear when he picked up a manga that he had no intention of joining her. She pulled on a hooded jacket, settled her sheathed swords on her back, and left the apartment.

Outside, the weather was cooler than it had been for the past several days. It put her in a slightly better mood, but there was still plenty that was bothering her. After returning from her encounter with Sonic, guilt had started to gnaw at her psyche. The guilt of having murdered innocent people and the guilt of doing what she had done with Sonic. Genos was angry that she had been forced to fight Sonic, going completely by Mumen Rider's explanation of the events. Saitama was subtly trying to get more details from her.

 _At least I know Sonic won't use it as blackmail_ , she thought with a grim smile. _He said it himself. He doesn't want to have to break me out of jail. If I'm in jail, he can't get to me as easily, right?_ Her tail swished back and forth lazily as she walked. The store clerk greeted her with a smile, which she returned casually. She got ingredients for dinner and left the store, yawning. Rubbing at her eyes, she could feel that she was being watched. _Great, but who is it now? If it's Sonic…_ Her mouth twisted into a frown. _What would I do if it was Sonic? Run? I don't like that every time I see him, we end up doing stuff. Not to mention the fact that I hardly even know him._ She scratched the back of her neck and yawned again. Shrugging it off, she continued on her way back home.

Noriko was approaching the big box of mail that the Hero Association had sent when she felt an arm wrap around her to stop her in her tracks. Tilting her head back, she met a pair of gold and black eyes. Instantly, he face turned pink. "G-Genos…you're back."

"I did not mean to be gone for so long. I apologize for leaving you and Master Saitama behind." He looked from her to the box of mail. His day had started with a call to go after a monster, which led to some horrific damage to his body, which led to him spending most of the day getting repaired. The blonde had been glad when he was able to return to City Z and was just on his way to the apartment when he spotted her trying to get the mail. "Did anything happen in my absence?"

"Er…n-not really. Um…hn…well I went over the weekly budget and we're a little over," she confessed. _Why is he still holding me?_ Her heart raced, wondering if he had somehow found out about the incident on the mountain. _If he knows, wouldn't he just kill me? I know that he can. I know that he will if I get blacklisted by the Hero Association._ To further fuel her fear, Noriko suddenly found herself being lifted and settled over his shoulder. "W-wait, what-?!"

He lifted the box of mail effortlessly and cast a glance behind him, down the street. There was no one in sight, but he could feel that they were being watched. Without a word, he started back to the apartment with Noriko slung over his shoulder. When he finally set her down, ignoring the questioning look Saitama gave him, Genos started sorting through the mail.

The girl's blush gradually faded as she started cooking dinner. _So he doesn't know then?_ A glance over showed that his back was to her. _He can't. He would have said something. I'm pretty sure he would have kicked me out of the apartment at the very least._ Noriko tried to focus on the meal, hoping to distract herself from the thought of her boyfriend incinerating her. She was watching the meat cook when she heard a knock at the door. Immediately, she feared that it was a representative from the Hero Association.

Saitama crossed the room and opened the door, his dopey smile taking form. "I thought you might've lost track of time," he teased.

"Do you know how hard it is to get through a city without drawing attention to myself?!" a high-pitched female voice demanded. "Where's my big sister?"

"Working on dinner." He moved aside to let Koneko in and closed the door behind her. "Remember the rules."

The child narrowed her eyes at Genos, who merely glanced her way. "Yeah, I know." She hurried into the kitchen and grabbed Noriko in a hug. "Big sister! I came for dinner!"

Noriko's green eyes widened and she cautiously hugged back. "Koneko?" She saw Saitama appear in the doorway, giving her a sheepish look. "Saitama, what's going on?"

"The old guy…er…S-Saitama-san…has been visiting me a lot! He brings me food and manga and tells me stories and-!" Koneko's face turned pink. "Er…I mean, he's been keeping me company."

The older catgirl smirked at her roommate now. "So…is _this_ why we're over budget this week? Why didn't you say so?"

"Are you kidding? I didn't want to look like a creep, but _come on_! She's just a kid! And she's living out in the woods so…I don't know. I thought I'd go cheer her up one day and it just became a habit," he admitted. "Also, how can you be twelve and never have had instant ramen?!"

Noriko rubbed behind one of Koneko's ears and frowned. "Um…her body looks twelve, but she's only existed for around three years."

"Don't treat me like a kid!" the child pouted. Her tail flicked in agitation.

She was glad when Koneko went to sit with Saitama in the other room. What she did not like was the way that her 'little sister' would occasionally turn to glower at Genos. He seemed to not mind, but it still worried her that the child might try to disembowel him. _It would hurt her way more than it would hurt him_ , she thought. Noriko's left ear twitched as she heard Genos stand and leave the room. Her eyes settled on Koneko and Saitama. She felt guilty for leaving Koneko in the woods, but she was relieved that Saitama had been checking up on her. Watching them, she could tell that he was actually worried about her.

"So how was it today?"

"Hnhnhn~! My boss lady had me track a cow that got loose! It was so stupid; it almost got hit by a truck, but I saved it and got paid double!"

"What was that?" Noriko called from the kitchen.

"What? Oh, I introduced Koneko to this little old lady that has a ranch near the forest. She's been doing odd jobs to get money," Saitama replied casually.

 _What the hell?! Just how much have I missed out on?_ She tried to focus on the rest of their conversation, but a shiver ran down her spine. _Someone's watching me again. Koneko? No. Those two seem pretty focused on their conversation and that anime that's on. Is it…?_ Noriko took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. "…Genos…?"

"You received a few threats in the mail today, but I disposed of them." He chose not to tell her about the obscene pictures that he had already burned. Standing behind her, he could see her tail hanging tensely. Her ears were perked forward in alertness, but she seemed lost in thought. She had seemed lost in thought since she returned from her fight with Sonic a few days prior.

Mumen Rider had explained everything to him; she had been accosted by the ninja while they were at the park and then she sacrificed her own safety to lead him away from citizens. A few things bothered him about it. The first being that she had been hanging out with Mumen Rider alone. He had not known that Noriko knew the man, let alone that they were apparently friends. The second thing that bothered him was that Mumen Rider described the way that Sonic looked at the girl as being 'lascivious'. That was what really had him angry.

Noriko turned her gaze to the food, hoping that it would be done soon. With Koneko acting the way she was, she doubted that Genos would return to the other room without her. She absently stirred the soup, wondering if Koneko would ever stop hating the blonde, when she felt an arm wrap around her waist from behind. A hard chest pressed against her back and she blushed red. "I-I'm sort of busy," she murmured, not wanting to draw attention to them.

He frowned and, moving as quietly as possible, turned her so her back was against the fridge. Leaning down, he stared into her eyes in a way meant to be loving, but it translated more as menacing. "I want you to be honest with me, Noriko."

"O-okay…" She bit the inside of her cheek, anxiety building fast. _If he knows, he'll know if I'm lying. If I lie, what are the chances that he'll just kill me to get it over with? What about Koneko?! He doesn't have a connection to her so-!_

"Did that pervert touch you?"

Her face went bright red and she blinked in surprise. "Wh-what?"

"If he touched you, I will have no choice but to annihilate him. Mumen Rider told me that he was looking at you a certain way and you have been acting different since your last fight with him. Tell me. Did he touch you?"

Instantly, she remembered everything that had transpired between her and the ninja. "N-no! He…he didn't touch me that way!" she lied, stomach aching with guilt. To her relief, Genos seemed content with this answer. He moved as if to pull away, but then leaned in closer again. _What else does he want me to say? When he gets this close to me, it makes it hard for me to concentrate._ Noriko shifted her gaze away from him. "I-if he ever does…I'll be sure to tell you."

"Good." He drew away from her and turned to leave the room.

Noriko wanted to sigh in relief, but feared that it would raise suspicion. She returned to the stove and started to portion out four meals when she once again felt eyes on her. A glance to her left showed Genos waiting patiently to carry the food out to the table. "Y-you know, I can handle this. You don't have to help me." She tried to focus, but her eyes kept shifting back to him. _Why is he just standing there? Is he going to say anything?_ The girl jumped a little when she felt a hand on her rear, the violet fur on her tail puffing up in alarm. "G-Genos?!"

"What are you guys doing in there?" Saitama looked over in time to see the blonde pulling his hand away from the girl. Before Koneko could look, he quickly distracted her with a manga. "Is dinner almost done?"

"…almost…" Noriko finished portioning the food and carried it over. She sat between Genos and Koneko, not feeling entirely comfortable with the situation. The younger girl was looking around her at the blonde man, glaring and growling every so often. The cyborg ignored it. She looked outside and saw that the sky had grown dark since she returned from the store. _Is Koneko going to be okay if it rains? It's starting to get kind of late._

When thunder boomed outside, the smaller catgirl immediately moved closer to Noriko. Saitama watched this and reached over to pat her on the head. "Hey, just stay here tonight. It's probably going to storm anyway."

 _Why are you so close with Koneko? How did you get her to trust you so much?_ Feeling the child cling at her side reminded her of the past, when Koneko would latch onto her during storms. "He's right. You're not going back to the forest in this weather."

Koneko's tail twitched. "I can sleep next to you?" She grinned when Noriko nodded. "I want to take a bath with you, big sister! Like we used to!"

"Hn…f-fine." Her ears went back and she ignored the way Saitama snickered. _She's essentially only three years old; her body just looks twelve. Besides, I was the first person she ever spoke to. The only person who was constantly there until she killed Kenta and we were separated. Killed…? But he might not be dead. That's right._ She felt Koneko hug her arm against her flat chest, trying to eat at the same time. "Hey…no one's been bothering you, right?"

"No one. Well, no one except for _that blonde creep_ ," the girl stated, glaring at Genos.

"He's not bothering you."

"He's bothering _me_ by bothering _you_ , big sister! You think I don't know?! I can tell what your relationship is! If he hurts you-!"

"That's enough." Noriko pulled away from Koneko, frowning. "What did I say last time?" Her voice was stern, her green eyes narrowed on the paler green eyes of the child.

Koneko glared up at her defiantly for a moment before slouching. Her eyes grew wet with tears. "You said that not all guys are bad. I know the old guy…er…Saitama-san…I know he's not bad, but you can't tell me that this one isn't! Look at him! He's taking you away from me, big sister!"


	21. Chapter 21

Noriko tried to shift in her sleep, but something was preventing her from turning over. Her eyes snapped open and she grunted quietly, still a bit groggy. She slowly became aware of the heavy arm wrapped around her waist and the hard chest pressed against her back. With a deep breath, she tried to assess the situation. _Genos is…trying to cuddle with me? Is that what this is? It's a little weird._ She attempted to get free again, but his arm tightened around her. A frown settled on her face, a hand resting over his on her stomach. _Alright, so what am I supposed to do? I need to get up. I'm hungry._

She felt her stomach growl and started to squirm again. It was the day after Koneko's sleep over and she had intended to wake up early so she could go check on the girl. In all honesty, she just wanted to watch the homicidal catgirl herd cows. It would probably be entertaining. _He has to be asleep or something. I mean…he would let me get up if he knew I was awake, right?_ She suddenly became aware of the fact that they were being watched. Shifting her gaze, she gave Saitama a pleading look. "…help…"

"No way. Do you know how rare it is that I get to see him being weird like that? Besides, it's pretty funny watching you try to get away," he replied, snickering. He turned on the television and changed it to the news, smiling in his usual sort of dopey way.

"If you don't help…how am I going to make breakfast?" Five minutes later she was standing the kitchen, smirking as she started to cook. In the next room, Genos was now sitting upright and looking slightly confused as to why Saitama had nearly wrenched his arm free of its socket. Noriko's tail shifted back and forth behind her, moving freely under the long t-shirt she had worn as pajamas. Her hair was still a little messy, having skipped brushing it in favor of starting their breakfast first.

"Master Saitama, can I ask for your advice on something?"

"Ugh. What is it? I'm trying to watch the news right now. Can it wait?"

"I would like your advice as soon as possible. This is something that has been weighing on my mind lately."

The girl's ear twitched, but she shook her head. _I'm not going to eavesdrop on their conversation. What do I need to do today? I wanted to visit Koneko, but I might need to have Saitama come with me._ She tucked a long strand of purple hair behind her useless human ear and frowned. _Maybe I should think about getting my hair cut? But how would everyone react to that? I remember how weird Saitama was about me having it in a ponytail._

When breakfast was ready, she carried their plates out to the table and gave her roommates a curious look. "So…are you busy today, Saitama?"

He was already devouring the omelet filled with rice and looked over with a few grains of rice on his face. "Sort of. What, do you need help with errands? Just take Genos. Hasn't it been a while since you guys went on a date?"

She tilted her head for a moment and then glanced at her boyfriend. The blonde was sitting calmly beside her, eating his food at a normal pace and chewing carefully. _I feel like I'm being set up. Again._ Pushing this thought aside, she shook her head. "It's not errands. I sort of wanted to visit Koneko, but she's probably working at that ranch. I was hoping that you could show me where it was."

"It's not that far from the forest. Like maybe a mile away. Anyway, Koneko and I made plans. We're going to City J to try every ramen shop and decide which one is the best."

 _You're going to get sick doing that! Well, you will anyway. She has a pretty strong stomach._ Noriko began eating and wished Saitama luck when he set off on his ramen quest. Now alone with Genos, she felt a little uneasy. _Maybe Saitama is knows what I did. Maybe Genos suspects it and asked him and now Saitama left so Genos can kill me and-!_ A yelp escaped her when her plate was taken. The blonde gave her a curious look and she sighed. "S-sorry. Just…a little on edge." She watched him walk to the kitchen and frowned. _I need to calm down. If he wanted to kill me, he definitely would have by now. With minimal effort._

"Master Saitama was right. It has been a while since our last date," he remarked. "Would you like to go somewhere today?"

"M-maybe just a walk." She dug around in her bag for clean clothes and found a pair of jeans and a t-shirt with a skull on it. _This…I don't remember buying this one._ The girl glanced at Genos, who had his back to her. A few days ago, he and Saitama had gone out and returned with a bag of clothes for her, claiming they were a gift. _So this must have been picked out by one of them. Clearly not Saitama; he always gives me stuff with cartoony animals and bright colors._

He washed the dishes in silence, not wanting to give away his plans for the day. It had been a while since they went on a date. He had ideas for dates. He had been paying attention to some of the anime she watched with Saitama. Sometimes it had romance in it. The blonde even glanced at the pages of the shojo manga that Noriko sometimes brought back from the convenience store. They gave him plenty of ideas for dates. Though he had ideas for other things as well. Things that he wanted to try with Noriko, if they could just get some extended time alone. They were both young adults so he knew that they were both feeling this.

The young man looked over as she pulled up her jeans, getting a good view of her black panties and the hole cut in them to thread her tail through. When she bent over to pick up her t-shirt, he caught himself staring at her chest. The shirt was soon on and clung tightly to her chest and stomach. He nearly dropped the plate that he had been scrubbing when he once again got that feeling of being watched. It took him all of two seconds to realize that it was just Noriko, staring at him curiously.

 _So what exactly are we doing?_ Outside, the air was chilled and it began to truly feel like autumn. People looked at them as they walked down the street, but she paid it no mind. Her attention was instead focused on Genos. He seemed bothered by something. _Does he really know and he's just really good at pretending? Is he just waiting for the right moment to incinerate me?_ Noriko looked at the ground as they walked, frowning to herself. When she felt metal fingers brush hers, she jumped a little. "G-Genos?" He took her hand in his and she smiled. _That was it? He just wanted to hold my hand? Why didn't he just say something?_

 **Shift P.O.V**

Genos could feel that they were being watched. Not in the usual way where women glared at Noriko and teenage boys glared at him. He looked behind them, trying to be subtle so the catgirl would remain oblivious. No one behind them appeared to be watching them too closely. They continued to walk for a while, though he was unsure of where they should go. _Master Saitama said that we should go somewhere fun. What would she find fun?_ He tried to think of all of the things she enjoyed. He knew that she liked anime and manga, she enjoyed cooking, and she seemed to like strength training. Shaking his head, he knew that none of these would make for a good date. He would need to use something from his research.

"Hn…it's getting colder," she remarked.

"Yes, it is. Are you too cold, Noriko?" He felt his mechanical heart beat a bit faster when she smiled and shook her head. "Is there anywhere in particular that you would like to go?"

She yawned cutely, her fangs briefly in view. "I guess maybe the store? Hm…" The girl took on a sheepish smile and bowed her head to try to hide it. "A-actually…I thought it could be fun to cook together tonight."

 _How did I not think of that?!_ Frustrated with himself, he nodded. "Yes, that sounds fun. We can do that. What do you want to make?"

"Well, let's see what's on sale at the store today."

They were walking in the produce section when it struck him again. _Someone is watching us._ He turned his head and saw a suspicious figure wearing dark clothes standing several feet away. Noriko had yet to take notice, but the figure had definitely noticed her. Even from this distance, Genos could tell that Sonic's stare was directed at the girl. The blonde felt the corner of his mouth lift into a smirk. _This is the perfect opportunity to put Master Saitama's advice to the test!_ He looked to Noriko, who was bent slightly at the waist so she could lean down and examine some apples. Shifting his eyes back to Sonic, their gazes met and locked. Without a word, Genos trailed his fingertips along the curve of her rear.

Noriko glanced at him over her shoulder, green eyes questioning. "Um…Genos?"

He pulled away nonchalantly and she returned to her task. A quick glance toward Sonic showed that he had definitely seen what happened. _Master Saitama said that I should do this to show that Noriko is mine. Will this really work?_ Noriko had selected some apples, her tail curling at the end in contentment. Without a word, he reached over and patted her firmly on the bottom. She yelped and her face turned bright pink. When she turned to him with a frown, he kept his face straight. "Is something wrong, Noriko?"

The girl tilted her head, but did not protest. "No…just a little confused."

Leaving the store, Genos knew that they were still being followed by Sonic. What he was after, the cyborg was unsure of. Though it was certain that he wanted them to notice him. Genos kept Noriko from noticing by putting an arm around her waist and keeping her from looking back. They walked down a more populated street and he let his hand rest on her lower back, just above the base of her tail.

She raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. When she spotted a taiyaki stand, Noriko went ahead of him to get some. Her hips swayed as she walked, her tail flicking back and forth and her ears perked forward. The stand owner blushed pink when she approached to order.

Genos turned to look at Sonic now that the girl's back was turned. The ninja was keeping his distance, standing several feet away with plenty of people between them. Their eyes locked and Genos nodded toward Noriko. Sonic raised an eyebrow in response. The blonde jerked a thumb in the catgirl's direction and mouthed the word 'mine'. The black-haired man shrugged nonchalantly and licked his lips. Genos wanted to break his face into a thousand pieces.

Noriko returned with two cream-filled taiyaki and smiled a bit guiltily. "Er…I hope you don't mind, but I got strawberry creams ones."

"Were they what you wanted?" He accepted one from her and watched her bite into it. She nodded in reply and licked the cream from her lips. He knew that if he was capable of blushing, his face would be turning pink. Genos watched her eat, taking small bites of his own. She looked absolutely content with simply standing beside him and eating.

Across the busy street, their stalker was watching them with a smirk. He waited for Genos to stop looking at Noriko, for him to look across the street. The ninja tugged at the neck of his shirt, exposing a deep hickey on his skin. He gestured at it and then pointed across the street at the hero couple.

Genos stared vacantly for a moment, not entirely sure where Sonic was pointing. He tried to follow the line and spotted a little old woman walking near them. _Is he trying to compete with me?_ Puzzled, he gave the man a thumbs-up. The dark-haired man shook his head and pointed again. This time, Genos was fairly certain that he was pointing at him. _What is he trying to say?_

 **Shift P.O.V**

Noriko grinned when she finished her taiyaki and felt somewhat energized by it. Stretching her arms over her head, she reveled in the warm sunlight penetrating the clouds. "So…did you like it? I wasn't sure if you would like the flavor."

"It was good," he assured her, seeming distracted.

She followed his gaze to Sonic, who was standing across the street and wearing that terrifying grin of his. Her ears went back as their eyes met. _What does he think he's doing?! If he says anything to Genos, I'll tear him apart!_ Her thoughts were shattered when an arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her chest against his. Noriko blinked up at Genos, her cheeks turning pink. "Wh-what-?" His metal fingers threaded into her long violet hair and drew her face to his. Their lips met, softly at first and then moving hard against each other. A pleasant shiver ran down her spine as her breasts pressed against his hard chest.

Around them, people were beginning to stare and take pictures. Noriko would likely receive death threats from his fans the next day, but in this moment that was the last thing she was worried about. Her arms wrapped around his neck, smothering a moan against his lips when she felt the peaks of her breasts rubbing against him through her bra and shirt. _How is Sonic going to react?_ The thought almost amused her. He would definitely retaliate. If nothing else, the fight would prove entertaining. _As long as he doesn't tell Genos…_

The cyborg backed her against a wall, not breaking the kiss. The taste of strawberry cream was prevalent, but it was not unpleasant. He felt her sharp teeth nip his bottom lip and it made him smirk. Pinning her there tightly, he finally broke the kiss and stared down at her intensely. He could sense her pulse racing and it only made him want this more. Of course, he knew that they would need to go back to the apartment before they could do anything. A glance across the street showed that Sonic was still watching them, his mouth twisted into a scowl now. All of this had started as a demonstration of his relationship with Noriko, to show Sonic that she belonged to Genos.

She caught him looking away and frowned. _I know he's looking at Sonic, but…_ The girl dug her fingers into his blonde hair and dragged his face forward. He gave her a puzzled look until he saw her feline ears perk forward. Noriko leaned up to kiss him again, her heart beating fast. Though she was uneasy about him acting so affectionate in public, she had to admit that it did feel good. She started to squirm a little when she felt his hand on her hip, metal fingertips settling just beneath the hem of her shirt. Her hips moved side to side, pressing forward against his. _My panties are getting wet. Damn it. Why did we have to start this out here?_

He broke the kiss and lifted her in his arms, carrying the grocery bags with one hand. Though he wanted to get home quickly, he wanted to draw as little attention to them as possible. This was nearly impossible because everyone was already staring and several people were snapping pictures on their phones.

As the blonde carried her away down the street, Noriko spared Sonic a parting glance. She expected to find him glaring at them, but instead found him grinning. _Wait…what is he planning?! What is he going to do? He wouldn't tell Genos, would he? I mean, he knows what will happen, doesn't he?!_ Her heart skipped a beat when he suddenly disappeared. She clung tighter to Genos, more out of worry than fear. _What is he going to do?_


	22. Chapter 22

Noriko blinked awake and instantly felt her heart begin to race. _Oh right…we fell asleep like this last night._ She could feel his arm around her, holding her on top of him. He seemed to still be sleeping. Her tail shifted behind her as she stared down at his face. _I wonder what he dreams about. He's a cyborg so he probably still dreams, right?_ She tilted her head and very lightly traced her fingertips along the side of his face. In response, his arm tightened against her lower back. She winced. _The grooves in his arm are going to leave marks on my back…_

He stared back at her now, the corners of his mouth lifting. "How long have you been awake?"

"…long enough to watch you for a while…" she muttered. _Damn it! Why did I say that?! Now I look like a creep!_

It seemed to dawn on him suddenly that they were lying on the floor, out in the open, lacking clothes. "Did Master Saitama return?" he hesitantly asked.

"I-I don't think I'd still be lying on top of you if he was back." Noriko blushed pink when he leaned up to kiss her. "Hn…we should probably get up."

"Why? Do you have plans today?" There was a slight edge to his voice when he asked this. After seeing Sonic's reactions the previous day, he did not like the idea of her leaving the apartment alone. Though some of Sonic's reactions had been more puzzling than worrisome.

She tried to pull back, but found his hands suddenly pressing hard against her shoulder blades. "Genos…?" His hips pushed up toward hers, eliciting a yelp of pleasure from her. "Genos, we can't-!"

"This opportunity does not come often, Noriko. We should-" He froze for a second and then abruptly turned so she was pinned beneath him on the floor.

When he shifted, most of his weight pressed down upon her and it forced the air from her lungs. She gritted her teeth, knowing that she was lucky. _Didn't Saitama say that this could kill a normal girl?_ Thrashing under him seemed to remind Genos that she needed to breathe because he soon raised himself a little, taking some of his weight off of her. Noriko took a deep breath, frowning up at him. "Why-?" She went still when she heard the apartment door open. Cursing in her head, the girl's face turned a vibrant shade of pink.

Saitama awkwardly shifted his gaze away from his roommates and went into the kitchen. "Do you guys always make out on the floor while I'm gone?" he muttered.

"M-Master Saitama, I-!"

"Just get dressed. I have an important announcement. I was all excited to tell you guys, but this is sort of a mood killer."

Noriko kept her head bowed, back turned to both of them as she got dressed. _Damn it! I knew we should have gotten up sooner! How embarrassing! And it's not like he doesn't live here and it's not like I don't see Saitama that often so now every time I look at him, I'm going to get embarrassed like this!_ Her ears went back and she slouched on the floor. The girl's tail forlornly draped over her crossed legs.

To her further embarrassment, Saitama next to her. "I decided that we need to go to your hometown," he announced casually.

"… _why_ though…?" Despite wanting to quietly get over her humiliation, she started to purr when he rubbed behind her ear. She heard Genos stand and walk into the kitchen, silently cursing him for leaving her alone with their friend. _I don't want to face this embarrassment alone, Genos!_

"Koneko was telling me about the night she mauled that creep. Hearing about it makes me want to go there and make sure he's dead. So we're leaving tomorrow."

"I will gather supplies for the trip," Genos determined.

"Wait. I'll go with you," Noriko spoke up. He shook his head and left on his own. _Just let me get away from here so I can try to forget this humiliation! Traitor!_ Slouching again, she glanced at Saitama. "Hn…so how was the ramen?"

He smiled. "It was pretty good. Koneko really liked most of the places, but they had a cat-themed shop that she seemed to like the most. I think she had fun."

She closed her eyes and sighed. "You know…I really appreciate you doing that."

"Doing what?" Saitama gave her a deadpan stare.

"L-looking out for Koneko. She hasn't had the best life. And she can't really have a normal life. Neither of us can." Noriko stretched her arms over her head, tail stretching as well behind her. "I mean…could you imagine me trying to work in an office…like a normal person? Wearing a blouse and skirt…carrying a briefcase and filling out forms…answering phones…talking at a water fountain with coworkers…"

He raised an eyebrow, but she was unable to see it. "I think you'd look cute in a skirt suit. Hey, so why don't you wear a costume when you fight? You're called Samurai Catgirl, but it's not like you wear armor or anything."

"Armor would be too heavy. It's just easier to wear normal clothes."

"Yeah, but then they get blood and guts on them. Remember that time you ran out of clean clothes?" Saitama saw her face turn red. "You could get custom-made armor. I guess it doesn't really need to be samurai armor though. Maybe something skin tight so it doesn't snag on stuff." Her face turned even redder. "What? I think it would be cute."

"You…think a _lot_ of stuff would be cute, don't you?" She opened her eyes and saw him shrug. The girl stood and her tail curled at the end. "So Koneko told you about the night Kenta was mauled?"

"She said he was planning to do something to you." He awkwardly looked away from her. "I probably shouldn't tell you what it was. Koneko wouldn't want you to know."

 _I think I have a right to know._ Nonetheless, she let the subject drop. "Did she tell you where we came from?"

"Nope."

"The outskirts of City G. That was where Kenta kept us. My family lived a little further into the city though." At the thought of her family, her ears went back and her lips drew down in despair. _My family…that creep slaughtered them in front of me. I never even had the chance to avenge them._ She jumped a little when she felt his hand ruffle her hair. "Saitama?"

"You said before that he might still be alive, right? If he is, we'll get revenge for you," he assured her with his usual smile. "So tell me about your date with Genos."

It was awkward trying to explain the date to him, leaving out any embarrassing parts and barely mentioning that Sonic had been stalking them. He listened, seemingly entertained. It was clear that he knew more had happened that she was not mentioning, but he knew better than to try to pry the information from her. Genos would be more than willing to tell him about it. "Hey, speaking of Genos, isn't he taking a while?" he finally brought up.

It was just then that the apartment door opened and Genos entered. He was carrying a bag of supplies and a larger bag full of mail. The expression he wore was one of puzzlement. "I apologize for being late. I ran into someone outside."

"Koneko?"

"No, it was…" He looked to Noriko, who was standing at the stove working on lunch. She gave him a curious look when she realized that he was staring. "I ran into Mumen Rider. Master Saitama, did you invite him on our mission?"

"Huh? Yeah, I ran into him on my way home and said he should go with us. I don't want to bring Koneko because she might go into that weird feral cat mode and kill everyone, but I didn't want it to be just the three of us. That would be depressing." Saitama saw the looks the other two were giving him and frowned. "What? You're not going to be all lovey-dovey in front of Mumen Rider, are you?"

"…no…" they both answered.

"So he's going with us. Can I have my mail now?" He accepted a few letters from Genos and frowned. "This is it?"

"If Mumen Rider is joining us, how are we getting to Noriko's hometown? If we run there, he will have trouble keeping up with us," Genos pointed out.

"That's why we're taking the train." Again, his two friends gave him confused stares. "What? It'll be like a vacation. It'll be like a fun vacation and then maybe revenge and then more vacation," he assured them. His brow furrowed as he lifted an envelope. "Hey, this one is from Sonic."

Instantly, Noriko grew tense. _Why would Sonic be sending him mail? He wouldn't tell Saitama about me helping him kill those people, right? I mean, he knows what would happen if he tells them! I might die! Or I might end up in jail! I'm still surprised the Hero Association hasn't come after me for letting Fancy Rat die!_ The fur on her tail was beginning to puff up in anxiety.

"I received one as well. There is also one addressed to Noriko." Genos held up the two envelopes, frowning. "I think I should burn these."

"What? Why? They're probably just challenges to a fight. Although, I don't know why he would sending a letter to Nya-chan." Saitama opened his envelope and frowned. "I told you."

Genos opened his, more out of curiosity than anything. "Mine is a death threat." The sound of ripping paper told Noriko that he was opening her envelope as well. "Noriko also received a death threat. Hers has blood on it." He set the letters aside and gave Saitama a serious look. "I must tell you about our date yesterday. He was following us for most of the time that we were out. When Noriko was looking away, I think that he may have been trying to flirt with me. I am not certain that he was trying to do that, though, because he was being very confusing."

Noriko turned her back to the others and covered her mouth to silence a laugh. Her body began to shake, ears perked forward as she tried her hardest not to laugh out loud. _He thinks Sonic was trying to flirt with him?! How did you come to that conclusion, Genos? What exactly was he doing to make you think that?_ She waited for the others to be distracted with their conversation before she sat at the table and drew the letters to her.

Skimming the papers, her ears went back and her lips subconsciously drew back into a snarl. Genos had been right; there was blood smeared on her letter. In addition to this, both she and the cyborg had received horrific death threats from the ninja. _When did he mail these? And does the Hero Association not check the mail first? What if he mailed us poison dust or something?_ She looked at the one addressed to Saitama and tilted her head. His seemed to be a normal letter of challenge that one would expect from a rival, though he did mention Saitama's 'pet cat' at one point. _Is this supposed to be his revenge? This is…kind of pathetic._

"So we're going to the train station in the morning to meet Mumen Rider. Nya-chan, did you need to get anything for the trip?"

She was looking over the letters again and shook her head. "I don't think so." The more she stared at it, the more it raised goose bumps on her skin. _Maybe it's not pathetic. Maybe he's being serious. But would he really 'slice open my throat and make me drown in my own blood'? Is he really that pissed off about yesterday?_

"Hey, did you guys hear about those bodies they found in that forest? There were twenty-three of them. Mumen Rider was talking about it earlier. He said they're not sure what those people were doing there and none of them knew each other. Pretty weird, huh?"

"…I think I'll go get some supplies…" Noriko left the apartment quickly, but neither of her roommates seemed to notice. She walked about a block away from the building before glancing over her shoulder to find that she was being followed. "Speed o' Sound Sonic."

Behind her, he began to grin. "You're being formal again. Why are you treating me like a stranger? I know that we're closer than that, Noriko. Or did you already forget what we did a few days ago?"

"Why did you send those letters?" She turned to look at him, but he had moved behind her as soon as she started to move. The girl could feel his chest against her back, one arm wrapped around her waist and the other crossed beneath her bust. Her face was quickly turning red with both anger and embarrassment.

"You didn't like my little love letter?" he taunted.

"…whose blood was smeared on it…?"

"What?" Sonic raised an eyebrow and then scowled. "That was the wrong letter."

"What?! You…you actually sent me a l-love letter? _Why_? Why would you do that?"

"What did you think was going to happen after that disgusting little display yesterday? I know you were trying to make me jealous. Didn't you learn your lesson last time?" He smirked at the way she was starting to shiver. "Why are you acting so _nervous_?"

Noriko struggled to break out of his hold and turned to glare at him. "Wh-what kind of idiot sends a girl _hate mail_ and a _love letter_ on the same day?! Do you have any idea-?"

"I don't know what you're getting so mad about," he stated, crossing his arms. "I sent the hate mail as a distraction. Not that your precious boyfriend would be smart enough to catch on anyway."

"…he thought you were hitting on him yesterday…" Noriko ran her fingers through her hair, trying to stay calm. _If he sent me hate mail and a love letter, then the others will still see the love letter. How stupid does he have to be? Unless he didn't use his real name. But I've noticed Genos burning most of mail recently…_

"So you're going on a little trip tomorrow?"

Her ears went back, tail puffing up in rage. "Don't you dare!"

"Don't I dare what? You gave me a month's worth of free time when you helped me kill all of my assignments. What else should I do with so much extra time on my hands?" he teased. "Can you answer a question for me? Why are you still with that loser?"

"I-I love him, that's why." She took a few steps back as he approached her, but it was futile. He was soon gripping her upper arm tightly. "Sonic-!"

"You love him? What do you love about him? Did he say that he loves you? As what, a pet cat like Saitama loves you?"

"I'm not…it's not like that!" she snarled. "If you follow me tomorrow, I will make you regret it!"

"Is that a challenge or a promise?"


	23. Chapter 23

_If we were in a school anime, what characters would they be? Wait. First I should figure out what character I'd be._ Saitama was seated beside Mumen Rider, across from Genos and Noriko. The man beside him was holding up a map of City G, examining the roads. The catgirl was barely awake, leaning against the cyborg's side with her eyes half-closed. Genos was watching Noriko, his gaze occasionally shifting to Mumen Rider. The group had left pretty early in the morning, not entirely sure of how long it might take to the get to their destination.

Saitama crossed his arms, tilting his head back as boredom set in. _Should've brought a book or something. I guess I thought they'd talk more. Nya-chan is still half-asleep and Genos is still mad that I invited Mumen Rider. And Mumen Rider is busy trying to figure out bike routes or whatever._ He looked out the window and sighed to himself. From the corner of his eye, he could see Genos seeming to doze off. The man beside him was now struggling to try to refold the cumbersome road map. _What was I thinking about before? Oh, yeah. If we were in a school anime, what characters would we be?_

His eyes shifted to the couple across from him. They both seemed to be asleep now, leaning against each other. It awakened a very small spark of jealousy in him. _I think I'd be that character that doesn't join any clubs. But I still have friends and stuff. So then Genos would be the popular, athletic character that everyone likes and everyone wants him to join their club. But he wouldn't because we'd be friends and he wouldn't join a club unless I did. So I guess Mumen Rider…he'd probably be kind of a bookworm character, right? He likes to be prepared for stuff. Now Nya-chan._ Saitama frowned and tilted his head. He examined his friend from across the space they were in, trying to determine what role she would have. _I mean, guys like her a lot, but she won't give most of them the time of day. Mostly because they make her nervous. So she would probably be like the lone wolf character that we pull into our group._ He smiled, satisfied with this conclusion.

Mumen Rider had successfully folded up his map and gave Saitama a curious look. He was still confused as to why he had been invited along. It seemed like something that would be personal to Noriko. Nonetheless, he had woken very early in the morning and met the trio at the train station, wearing his hero costume. He was the only one to show up dressed for battle and, if that was not embarrassing enough, he had to awkwardly stop Saitama from trying to introduce him to the catgirl. Luckily, he had come prepared with some casual clothes and changed in the station restroom. "This is good weather for travel," he commented, trying to strike up a conversation.

"Can you hand me the snack bag? It's over by Nya-chan."

He frowned slightly and adjusted his glasses. "Um…what?"

"Right there. It's on Nya-chan's lap. Can you hand it to me? We skipped breakfast."

Realizing that he was referring to the catgirl, the man started to blush faintly. "M-maybe I shouldn't. Won't we be there soon?"

Saitama gave him a bluntly irritated look. "Just reach across and get it for me. I'd do it myself, but you're closer." He watched the bespectacled man try to lean over and carefully retrieve the bag, but it proved too far of a reach. What transpired next might have been considered humorous if not for the potentially deadly consequences.

The bicyclist leaned a little too far forward and lost his balance, falling toward the girl. As Saitama looked on, the other man's face fell into Noriko's chest. He pulled away quickly, face turning as bright a shade of red as the girl's. She had woken upon impact and now she was staring at him with wide green eyes. "I-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to-!"

"Did you think you were being clever?" Genos glared across at him for a moment, an arm wrapping around Noriko and pulling her tightly against his side.

"It was an accident! He wanted me to get the snack bag and-!"

"What? Oh, that? Why would I want that? We're almost there." Saitama turned to stare out the window, ignoring the rest of the conversation. _Well that was entertaining for a while. I wonder if anyone else noticed Sonic on top of the train earlier._

 **Shift P.O.V**

Noriko walked with her head bowed, hands shoved into the pockets of her grey hooded sweatshirt. She was dressed more for comfort than for battle, wearing a soft t-shirt underneath and a pair of shorts with long socks covering her legs. The girl ruffled her long, violet hair and sighed. _What was that all about earlier? I know Saitama had something to do with it. Mumen Rider wouldn't just put his face in my chest._ She wanted to snicker, remembering how red his face had gotten. The man's sense of modesty was strangely refreshing.

The air in City G was crisp when they stepped off the train. Her tail flicked back and forth behind her as memories flooded back to her. They were faint and only seemed to be fragments, but it was enough to make her chest feel tight. She could recall boarding a train at this station long ago with her parents and brother. "…can't even remember their names…" she murmured under her breath. Even her own name was something that she seemed unable to remember. Noriko had been the name she gave herself when she left Kenta's hideout.

"Alright, so you said it was on the outskirts? Anywhere you want to stop by on the way?" Saitama asked, trying not to directly ask the obvious. He was really curious about whether or not they would be stopping by her family's old home.

She bit her bottom lip in hopes of distracting herself from the sadness and shrugged. "I guess maybe I should pay a visit to my family's graves," she answered.

They started to walk down the road together in silence. The wind blew cold against their backs, but no one said a word about it. Mumen Rider walked beside her, looking somewhat uncomfortable. True, he was a little out of place. He rubbed the back of his neck and glanced at his companions. Saitama was on the far left with the snack bag slung over his shoulder, wearing his usual deadpan expression. Genos met his eyes and glared. "So we're just going to see if this person is really gone?" the bespectacled man spoke up.

"Yes. We are making sure that the monster that hurt Noriko is dead," Genos bluntly answered.

The catgirl glanced over at Mumen Rider and felt a little bad that he had been dragged into the situation. "Thanks for coming along. I know you were probably busy," she said, attempting a small smile.

"Ah! No, it's no trouble at all! The suspicious person from the convenience store hasn't made an appearance since the incident in the park so things have actually been pretty calm around town!" he assured her.

She tilted her head, watching him from the corner of her eye. _Out of all of us, he looks the most normal. Acts the most normal. So…it just confirms it. He's a normal guy. A really nice, ordinary guy._ Her tail shifted slowly behind her, the fur puffing up to try to keep her warm. She could see his head turn slightly and knew that he was looking at her tail. Blood rushed to her cheeks, her eyes lowering to the ground.

Genos, seeing the general direction of the man's gaze, felt a surge of anger and quickly put himself between Mumen Rider and Noriko. His thoughts went back to the advice Saitama had given him, but felt reluctant to do anything in front of him. Settling for a small gesture of ownership, he reached over to hold the girl's hand. "Are you cold, Noriko?" She nodded once, knowing that there was no hiding it. He leaned down to her feline ear and very, very gently nipped at it. "Would you like for me to warm you up?" To his satisfaction, her face went from pink to red and she gripped his hand harder.

 _Is he trying to flirt with me?_ Noriko felt a smile creeping onto her face again. His presence made her feel better without a doubt. Walking through the city was a bit painful with flickers of memories passing through her mind. She was certain that it would have hurt much more if she was alone. On her other side, Saitama was saying something to Mumen Rider, but her attention was elsewhere.

The previous day, she had looked through her mail as soon as she parted ways with Sonic. She had sincerely hoped that he was lying about sending her two letters. Unfortunately, she did locate a second letter from him. There was no name return address or sender name on the envelope, but it was there and she knew instantly that it was from him because of the contents of the letter. _Not so much a letter as it was smut. If Genos ever saw it…_ She shivered at the thought, which he immediately mistook for her still being cold.

When they finally reached their destination, the four stood staring at the shed for a moment. Its appearance was weathered; the paint chipped and the wood rough. Saitama was the first to enter after roughly prying open the door. "Did you close this after you left, Nya-chan?"

"I…don't remember. I don't think I did." She stared at his outstretched hand and hesitantly accepted it. Her stomach was twisting in knots, her heart hammering in her chest. Again, she was very glad that her friends had come with her. _Friends. That's right._ She took a deep breath and let Saitama help her over the rotted wooden ledge just on the other side of the doorway. Genos was right behind her, effectively creating a buffer between her and the cyclist.

Saitama stared down at the dark staircase, barely lit by the sunlight coming in through the splintered doorway. "Is that where he took you?" She nodded once and squeezed his hand ever so slightly. "Alright. I'll see if there's a light so-" He went silent when light glowed from the palm of their cyborg companion's hand. "Thanks. Still kind of dark though." Glancing back at them, he frowned. "Hey, Mumen Rider should probably walk in front of you so he can see the stairs."

Though he looked displeased by this, the blonde stepped aside and allowed the other man to stand near Noriko. "Master Saitama, please keep Noriko safe."

"What? Do you sense someone down there?" He peered into the darkness and felt Noriko press against his side out of fear.

"No. I don't sense any humans down there; only rodents and insects. I meant-"

"I-I'll help keep her safe," Mumen Rider spoke up. Little did he know that his input was the last thing that Genos wanted at the moment.

"Hey, are you going to be okay to go with us? If you want to wait outside, I'd understand, Nya-chan." The bald hero gave her a genuine look of concern, but she shook her head in response. "If you change your mind, it's alright."

"I need to do this. I need to see for myself whether he's really dead or not," she said, trying to sound confident. It was embarrassing to cling so close to her friend, but it really was bringing her comfort. _And to think…I used to find him unsettling. Things have changed so much since then and it's only been around two months._

He tried to focus on getting down the stairs. It would have been easier if her grip had remained solely on his hand. Instead, she now had both arms wrapped around his right arm. He could feel her chest rubbing against it as they walked down the stairs and it was proving a little distracting. Somehow, they managed to get to the bottom of the staircase and Genos briefly shone the light over the floor. It was littered with shredded fabric and papers, splatters of old blood dried on the tiles.

Noriko forced herself to move away from Saitama and took shaky steps toward her boyfriend. "Hn…lights…there should be a light switch near this wall, but…" She was glad when he threaded her arm through his and shone the way for her. Strangely enough, the lights came on when she threw the switch. Immediately, everyone wished that the lights had stayed off.

"Yeah, I'd say that he's dead," Saitama remarked before he could stop himself. The cellar was full of medical equipment, bookshelves, computers, and racks of empty clothes hangers. Perched atop one of the counters was a limbless, decayed corpse. When the lights came on, rats and cockroaches rushed away from it. As they all stared, one straggling rat came out of a gaping wound in the body's chest.

The girl stared at the corpse, but did not recognize it as Kenta. _I know it's him though. It just feels like I'm staring a shell. That's all it is, right?_ She heard Mumen Rider start to gag and turned in time to see him lurch toward the stairs. Her attention returned to the corpse as Saitama used a clothes hanger to poke at it. "The night he died…it just seemed like a normal night to me. He made me dress up and…he took pictures of me. Koneko just sort of snapped…she tore open his throat, his chest, his stomach. I watched her tear him apart and eat him alive." She bit her lip and felt Genos at her side. "I guess…she had reasons, but she wouldn't tell me exactly what they were. Just that he was going to hurt me."

Saitama poked the corpse harder and sent it falling onto its side, making Noriko and Mumen Rider both jump in surprise. "Hey. When Koneko mauled him, did she crack his head open?"

"Wh-what?" Noriko, though reluctant to get closer to the body, moved toward Saitama to see it from his point of view. There was a large hole in the back of Kenta's skull. Worse, she could see inside. Goose bumps rose on her skin as she took a step back. "No…Koneko didn't do that."

"Uh…okay. Let's think about this. You said it was a monster rat that was talking about him, right? We saw rats around his body when we got here. What if the rat ate part of his brain and that's what he meant?" Saitama tried to rationalize it.

"If you are trying to reassure her, I think you will need a better explanation. He was not a superhuman. I doubt that his 'genius' was real. Judging by the amount of books and their contents, I think that he was relying on the research of others to conduct his experiments." Genos looked down at the girl and saw that she was trembling violently. Now he was conflicted. While he hated the idea of entrusting her safety to Mumen Rider alone, he wanted to search for clues in the cellar. Anything to help him discover the whereabouts of the otaku's missing brain so he could destroy it. "Go upstairs with Mumen Rider. We will be there shortly." He pressed a kiss to her forehead and watched her reluctantly walk over to the stairs.

As she followed the cyclist, she felt her heart beating faster and faster. _What if Kenta is alive though? And not just through the rats? But how?! Koneko mauled him and then escaped on her own. I waited for him to stop moving before I left. I wanted to be sure that he was dead so he couldn't hurt any more girls. Someone would have had to find him and take his brain. But who would do that? As far as I know, his own family was oblivious to what he was doing down here._


	24. Chapter 24

Rummaging through the otaku's belongings might have seemed wrong if not for the circumstances. Though it was a little eerie that his dead body was still in the cellar with them. Saitama decided not to bother with the computers. He doubted that they had anything valuable in them, other than Kenta's research. Oddly enough, the otaku had kept physical copies of all of his notes as well. Thus, he watched Genos destroy the computers with very little concern. "Hey, that's fine and all, but we really need to focus on the books."

The blonde looked around the room at the bookshelves and frowned slightly. "Which books? All of them?"

"I guess all of them. Just get them together at least. We really just need to get rid of any traces of Nya-chan being here." Saitama turned away and heard several thuds as books were tossed into the center of the room. The books he had come across so far had been truly disgusting. Scrap books, full of pictures of Noriko. It made his stomach turn. _We need to find out what happened to this jerk's brain so we can finish this once and for all. When she told us about him before, I thought it couldn't possibly be that bad. This is pretty bad._

Half an hour later, the two were standing outside. Thick smoke billowed out of the depths of the cellar and soon the shed was engulfed in flames. "Nya-chan will probably be back soon, right?" Saitama scratched the back of his head, watching the small structure burn.

"Noriko probably went to visit her family's grave," came the solemn reply. His hands curled into fists at the thought of her going there with the fourth member of their party.

"I didn't want to say anything earlier, but aren't you being kind of harsh on Mumen Rider? It's not like he's hitting on her or anything."

"I don't like the way that he acts around her."

He had noticed his friend becoming increasingly protective of Noriko, but had assumed that he was just worried about Sonic going after her. _What happened to Sonic anyway? I saw him on top of the train before we left. Maybe he fell off?_ Shrugging away that thought, he turned to look at Genos. "So what about me? Do you have a problem with how I act around her?"

His friend seemed taken aback at the suggestion. "Of course not! Master Saitama, I know that you have only pure intentions when it comes to Noriko."

Saitama raised an eyebrow and pushed his hands into his pockets. "Seriously?" The wind picked up just then, blowing hot embers across the ground and sending a wave of warm air toward them from the fire. "What if I didn't? What would you do if I did think of her-?"

"I know that you would not so this hypothetical question is not necessary."

They stood in silence for a moment before returning their attention to the fire. "Do you remember when I said she was like a girlfriend, but without the pressure? Doesn't that bother you even a _little_?"

"I am not worried about you trying to take her from me."

 _So that's what this is really about. It's not just that she's hanging out with Mumen Rider; it's that he thinks she's going to actually leave with him._ He turned away from the burning building and started to walk off down the road. "You know she wouldn't leave you so why are you even worried?"

"She could be taken."

"She's a Class A hero. I know she can take care of herself. Give her a little more credit, Genos." He knew that the blonde was following him down the road now. "You know, I held her hand earlier. I let her press her boobs against my arm when she got scared in the cellar. And you're still more worried about Mumen Rider?"

 **Shift P.O.V**

"Hn…you going to be okay?" Noriko had been watching the young man for a while as he trudged along beside her. When they got out of the cellar, she knew she had to get him away from there. His face was still a little pale after vomiting on the ground.

"I-I'll be fine. Are _you_ okay, Noriko-san?" Mumen Rider was still recovering. Not just from getting sick in front of her but also from the mental trauma of seeing a decayed corpse. "I didn't realize that there would be a dead body," he admitted. It was embarrassing enough to react that way, but it was made worse by the fact that it happened in front of a girl.

She looked down the vaguely familiar street and spotted a convenience store. _He still looks kind of out of it. They might have some stomach medicine there. At the very least, I can get him something to eat and drink so he can get rid of the taste of vomit._ Noriko grabbed his hand and started leading him down the street.

"Noriko-san?"

"We're getting you something for your stomach. Don't argue, okay? You got involved in my problem and it made you get sick so…just let me do this for you." After she said this, he stopped protesting. They stepped into the convenience store and she spared the clerk a nod before dragging Mumen Rider over to the medicine section. The girl grabbed some antacids, some drinks, and some snacks before pulling him up to the counter with her. "Just these."

The girl behind the counter squinted for a moment and then her jaw dropped. "N-no way! No freaking way! Is that _you_ , Hinya-chan?!"

"Wh-what?" Noriko nearly dropped her money. "You're probably mistaken. Sorry."

"No way! I'd recognize those green eyes and purple hair anywhere! It's totally _you_ , Hinya-chan! It's been forever since I saw you! You really don't remember me from elementary school? It's me! Junko! Oh! Oh…uh…wow." She leaned across the counter, fixing her gaze upon the cat ears and tail. "I didn't realize it was that extreme."

 _Junko?_ Noriko tilted her head. _Oh, right. I do sort of remember a Junko from when I was a kid._ She frowned and her ears went back. "…too bad you had to see me like this..."

"So what have you been up to, Hinya-chan?" The girl's eyes drifted to the young man standing beside her and she grinned. "Oh! Is this your boyfriend?! He's so cute!"

"N-no, we're not-!"

"Not my type," Noriko bluntly interrupted. Beside her, Mumen Rider was blushing pink. "And anyway…I'm pretty sure I'm not his type. I have a boyfriend though." She studied the girl closer and was able to recall a few memories of playing together on a playground long ago. "What's my name, Junko?"

She tilted her head. "Huh? It's Hinako Moriyama. Right? Wait…you didn't remember your own name?"

"I go by Noriko now. Or Samurai Catgirl." Noriko caught the vacant stare the girl gave her. "I'm a Class A hero."

"Oh! Wait, so is your boyfriend a hero? Is this guy a hero?" She saw the catgirl nod. "Who are you dating, Hinya-chan?! Tell me! You have to tell me!"

"…Genos…"

Junko squealed in response. "He's so _cute_! Wait, so can you tell me something? How does sex with a cyborg work?"

"We're leaving now." Noriko took the bag from her and grabbed Mumen Rider's hand to pull him outside.

"Write to me some time, Hinya-chan! And send me pics of your hot boyfriend!" Junko called after them.

When they were outside, Noriko released a sigh of frustration and ran her fingers through her hair. "S-sorry about that. Here, have some medicine."

He took it from her and washed it down with some bottle tea. "Thank you. Um…your real name is nice. Are you going to go by Hinako now?"

She bit her thumbnail, eyes half-closed. "Wouldn't feel right. I'm not the same person I was back then." Realizing that she was still holding his hand, she quickly released it. "I'm sorry you got dragged into this mess. Saitama shouldn't have made you come with us."

"No, it's fine. I'm glad if I can help in any way. Although, so far I've just sort of embarrassed myself." He rubbed the back of his neck and tried to smile.

"I finally found you! Now I can-!" Sonic, who had just appeared from behind the store, was cut off by a thunderous voice booming from down the road.

"I finally found you! Now I can claim my reward!" Footsteps thudded loudly against the pavement as a massive form charged at them.

Noriko shoved her friend away and leapt back in time to avoid being trampled. What came running at them was a giant rat monster. It was around ten feet tall and was completely hairless. Its fat gut jiggled when it moved, the creature being clothed only in a pair of shorts that seemed tight to nearly tearing. _What the hell?! What is with the rat monsters? Was Saitama's guess correct? Did this rat eat Kenta's brain?_ She saw the beast skid to a stop just before it could crash into the store's front and watched it turn toward her.

When it charged at her again, she jumped up and sank her sharp nails deep into its chest. She scaled up and over its head, leaping to the ground behind him. Sonic was there, watching the spectacle and silently fuming over being interrupted. _Damn it! Okay, calm down! We left our bags at the shed so Mumen Rider doesn't have his armor and I don't have my swords! If I want to get rid of this guy, I'll have to fight like a cat with just my fangs and nails!_ Her glance drifted to Sonic. He had all of his weapons with him. Thinking quickly, acting horribly rashly, she shifted behind the ninja and gave him a hard shove forward.

Much to his disgust, Sonic suddenly found himself facing the gelatinous rat monster as it turned to face them. It was drooling now, making its bare stomach and chest shiny with saliva. "What? Do you want my help or something?" the man asked over his shoulder.

"…just do it…"

"If I do this, you're going to owe me again."

She narrowed her eyes and clenched her fists tightly. "Just…incapacitate him. So I can get some answers." Noriko saw him unsheathe a blade and darted out of the way before he could decide to go after her instead. She made her way over to Mumen Rider, putting herself between the monster and the unarmed man. "Sorry that I pushed you."

"What is that thing?! And why is-?"

"J-just don't worry about it for now. Please." Noriko grimaced when she saw the ninja swiftly dart around the beast, leaving small cuts up and down its legs and arms. When it fell heavily to the pavement, she shivered. _I have to get close to it now and ask it questions._ She took a deep breath and approached it, stopping at Sonic's side. "…so what's your name…?"

"I'm Fat Rat and if you know what's good for you, you'll come along like a good little girl, Samurai Catgirl!" Like Fancy Rat, this monster had a nasally voice, but it was lower in pitch. He continued to drool as he spoke, beady eyes looking her up and down. "Your chest is bigger than I thought it would be. He said you were a B-cup."

 _Don't talk like that in front of Mumen Rider. As if this wasn't embarrassing enough._ She crossed her arms and leaned on one hip, trying to appear confident. "Fat Rat?"

"You mentioned a reward earlier. What were you talking about?" Sonic cut in before she could ask more.

"He said that if I bring her, dead or alive, I'll get a reward! He'll make me my own catgirl!" the rat answered. "If I don't bring her back-!"

"Who wants her?"

"What do they want me for?" She pushed Sonic aside, glaring at the fallen rat monster.

He sneered. "You think you're something special? He could make a thousand of you if he wanted! Kenta-sensei can do anything!"

"Kenta? Where is he?" When the rat went silent, Sonic pressed his blade against the monster's neck. "Answer the question unless-"

To everyone's disgust, the monster's fat began to jiggle as he lurched to his feet. A bellowing laugh escaped him, blood rushing from his wounds and wetting the street. "You think I'll give away my sensei's location?! Pathetic! Foolish! I'll slaughter all of you!" He threw his head back, rodent teeth shining yellow as he chuckled.

"I'll make you regret those words!" Noriko tried to rush forward, but an arm caught her across the ribs just below her bust and slung her backwards into the outer wall of the store. She hit it hard with a grunt of pain and saw Sonic rush forward to fight the monster. _Did he really just throw me?_ The girl braced herself against the side of the store and gritted her teeth. _Damn it! I don't want to be here when he's killed that thing! I won't get any answers out of a dead rat, but I can't really fight Sonic without my swords! Worse, what is he going to demand as payment when that thing is dead?!_

"Noriko! Over here!" Mumen Rider called, a short distance down the street.

She sprinted to his side, narrowly avoiding the monster trampling her in his fight against the ninja. "I-I don't know what to do here! The monster might have some information, but…I can't fight without my swords. Not effectively."

He turned to look at the battle and nodded once. "Alright. I'm going to get your friend out of the store. Can you shout for everyone to get out of the area?"

"Wh-what about you? Don't tell me-"

"I know a way that I can be useful on this trip. I'll keep him from killing the monster for as long as I can. You focus on finding Saitama and Genos, alright?" He saw her look of worry and frowned. "I can do this! It's just one monster and he's already wounded."

"There's also an armed ninja! You're not wearing any armor or even your helmet! If he wanted to kill you-!"

"I won't let that happen! Now hurry up; I'm not sure how long I'll be able to keep him from killing that thing!"

Noriko started to run, her heart already racing. _Okay, so luckily there's this rat monster who also knows Kenta. Damn it, what is with the rat monsters?! And on top of that, Sonic is here! I can hear him shouting something! What is it?! No! I need to focus! Mumen Rider can only hold them both off for so long and they'll both be after me!_ She heard an explosion and realized that exploding shuriken had been deployed. The sound of the convenience store crumbling brought tears to her eyes. _Junko! But Mumen Rider was going to make her evacuate…Mumen Rider?! Is he okay?_ She glanced over her shoulder and saw him digging the girl out of the rubble. Junko was coughing, but seemed otherwise alright. "…well at least there's that…"


	25. Chapter 25

Noriko was running down the middle of the street, trying to remember the way back to the shed. Behind her, she could hear the battle continuing. _Damn it! Why did we leave the shed?!_ A waft of air hit her nose and she froze in place. Her green eyes lifted to the sky, widening. "…is that smoke…?" She started to run again quickly, fairly certain that she was going the right way now. _It can only be caused by Sonic or the others and Sonic is somewhere behind me. What happened after we left?!_

Houses seemed to fly past her as she sped up and when she reached the outskirts of town, she nearly fell to her knees. "Wh-what the hell?!" Not only was the shed on fire, but the field beyond it was blazing as well. There was no sign of her friends. _This is too much! I can't handle this! What am I going to do now?! Head back? But this fire! How am I supposed to put out this fire? Why is this happening?_

"Oh, hey. There you are."

She looked over her shoulder and saw Saitama walking toward her. "Why is the shed on fire?" Her tone was low, accusatory.

"Oh, that? I figured we were done with it so why not get rid of it? I mean, you have a lot of bad memories tied to it, right?"

"Where's Genos?"

He shrugged. "I guess we got split up somewhere."

Noriko stared at him for a moment. He seemed alarmingly relaxed for standing in front of a burning field and building. "C-can you find him and have him help put out the fire?"

"Shouldn't we let it finish? I wanted to get rid of the whole thing."

"I-it doesn't…even _concern_ you, Saitama! It didn't happen to you! Why should you care what happens to this place?! Just find Genos and have him help you! I need to get people to move away from the shopping district!" She started to run back toward the city, but paused when she heard his next words.

"You know, it _does_ sort of concern me. You're my friend and this place caused you a lot of pain. I just thought it would be good to erase it."

"…thank you…" The girl continued to run, smiling slightly. _Friend. We're friends. That's right. Now, is he going to actually look for Genos or is he going to stand there and watch it burn some more?_ As she neared the shopping district, she cupped her hands around her mouth. "Everyone get out of the area! There's a rat monster!" she shouted as loud as she could.

People began to stare and then, when her words registered, they started to run. A few looked curious, but were urged to run after her next words. "There's also a rampaging perverted ninja in the area! Please evacuate the area!" She felt her face turning red as she spoke those words, but it proved effective in making people run. When the area was vacant of people, Noriko turned to where she heard fighting. _Alright, I'm going into this bare-handed! I didn't see Genos anywhere and Saitama wasn't carrying my swords. I just hope I'm able to make a difference!_

 **Shift P.O.V**

He stood in front of the house, staring vacantly. He was not sure what he had expected to find. This was just an ordinary dwelling. Though it was in disrepair and there were no sounds coming from within. No sign of life. The nameplate on the gate read "Moriyama". A small clue to her past identity.

Genos had gotten directions from a blushing young woman in the street. He was still curious as to why Noriko's swords had not frightened her. It took a considerable amount of effort to get the directions. He had started by asking where Samurai Catgirl had lived. The woman had no idea what he was talking about. When he asked where the girl with purple hair had lived, she had eagerly given him the directions and asked for a photo with him.

The man entered the house with caution, not entirely sure of what awaited him. There was a melancholic air about the home. Everything seemed to be in its place, as if a murder had never occurred there. He moved through the dwelling without a sound. When he came across the window overlooking the small yard, he saw something absolutely chilling. Instantly, he imagined Noriko returning to the house after her escape from the cellar and tending to the three graves in the back.

Turning away, he saw the photos on the coffee table. Photographs of Noriko and her family from when she was a child. He walked through the house, room after room, and took all of it in with a sense of gloom. When he came upon what could only be her old bedroom, he could not bring himself to actually step inside. Here was her past. All of her childhood hopes and dreams for the future. Everything that she had wanted, everything that had been snatched away from her by Kenta.

"Hey, Genos! Noriko saw the shed and wants us to put out the fire!" Saitama called through the window.

Genos looked out at him, slightly surprised that he had been found so quickly. He went outside and adjusted the sheathed swords hanging over his shoulder. "Master Saitama?"

"The fire kind of spread into the field. And I'm not sure why, but Nya-chan said she had to evacuate the shopping district. So maybe we should see what that's about, too." He tilted his head and looked at the name on the gate. "Is this it?"

 **Shift P.O.V**

Noriko was not prepared. Nothing could prepare her for what she returned to. Junko had fled, which was good because the other three were fighting viciously. Sonic was targeting the rat, who was targeting both him and Mumen Rider. The cyclist was trying to protect the rat from dying while at the same time defending himself from it. He was bleeding heavily from a variety of wounds, but he was still standing. The catgirl watched the rat hurl him into the air and leapt in time to catch the man.

"Um…I couldn't find Genos and he has my swords."

His glasses were cracked, blood running down the side of his face as he stared up at her. "What are we going to do? Did you at least find Saitama?"

 _He may or may not have committed arson so he's dealing with that._ Shaking her head, knowing she could never tell him that, Noriko set him down against the side of a building. "H-he's busy. Mumen Rider, I can…I mean, I sort of have to handle this myself now. Thank you for all your help. Er…I-I'll treat you to dinner…when we're back in City Z. Alright? Stay here and…if it gets out of hand, I want you to run."

The man struggled, trying to push himself to stand. "I won't let you fight them alone. I can still fight, Noriko." He winced in pain, grabbing his side.

"Stay here." She put a hand on his shoulder and forced him back down. "Maybe…I can hold them off long enough for Saitama and Genos to find us." A glance over showed that Sonic and the rat were still battling. Her eyes locked with the ninja's for a second and she smirked. She leaned down and very lightly kissed the top of her friend's head, making him blush and making Sonic glower at them.

When she ran toward the fight, the rat's back was turned to her. Noriko stepped up onto a chunk of the convenience store's remains and launched himself onto the monster's hairless back, her sharp nails sinking deep into his flesh. It was disgustingly warm beneath her nails and fingertips, feeling greasy to the touch. He twisted and turned frantically, trying to throw her off, but she held on tightly. Over his shoulder, she could see Sonic preparing to attack. With a sharp twist, she turned so the attack hit her instead of the rat's chest. A slash opened across the girl's back from her left shoulder to her right hip.

"You think you're making a difference? Look at me. I've been fighting this thing since you left. Let me rephrase that, I've been trying to _kill it_ since you left. Why do you think it's still alive? Because I feel _pity_ for it? No matter what I do, it refuses to stay down!" The ninja leapt up and struck downward at the beast's shoulder, but the blade seemed to simply bounce off.

 _What the hell was that?! Is this thing made of gelatin? But my nails are able to break through. They couldn't be sharper than Sonic's blade, right? He isn't going point first though. When he hurt it before, it was with shuriken, wasn't it?_ She latched on tighter as the rat began to thrash again. "Tell us where Kenta is!"

"I'll never tell you! Not even for a feel of that chest!" Fat Rat roared.

"Who said anything about you touching her?" Several shuriken planted themselves in the rat's jiggling chest and stomach. Blood quickly filled the air, following the boom of explosions. Sonic jumped back in time to avoid it, but saw that Noriko's shirt and face were dotted with it when the beast collapsed forward.

She pushed herself to stand, extracting her nails from the monster's skin to find them tipped red. _Gross! Gross, gross, gross! Why is it always me?!_ Glaring at Sonic, she first wanted to attack him. Luckily, she remembered her priorities and stomped on the monster's back. "Hey! Still alive?" The beast groaned in response. "Tell me where Kenta is! If you don't…I'll let _him_ do whatever he wants with you. And I promise that you'll suffer."

Mumen Rider watched this interrogation with a racing heart. Noriko stomped down on its back again when it refused to answer her and Sonic began to grin. It was all really unsettling. When he saw a pair of figures off to his left, he quickly turned his head toward them. "Saitama! You have to hurry! That rat knows the man we're looking for!"

"Uh…what have we walked in on? Why is Nya-chan stomping on that thing's back? And how long has _he_ been here?" From the corner of his eye, he saw the dark expression taking form on his cyborg companion's face. "Hey, it's probably nothing, okay? If things get out of hand, we'll get in there and stop him. If they're going to fight, we need to let her fight him herself."

Noriko slid down the creature's back as it pushed itself to sit upright and shifted around to its front. The stomach and chest were a mess of blood, organs, and muscle. "Tell me where he is, damn it!" She bared her fangs, ears perked forward and tail puffed in anger.

Sonic knew that Saitama and Genos were there. The situation was exciting enough; the enemy was resilient, he got to put all of his skills to use, and Noriko was there to witness it all. Now that more obstacles were appearing, it only presented more of a challenge and he reveled in it. "I would listen to her, if I were you. She looks ready to tear your throat out," he stated. The corner of his mouth drew up into a smirk. "But doesn't she look cute when she's mad like this?"

"What?! Why are you-?" The rat grunted in pain when Noriko drew her nails across his stomach. "Kenta-sensei is far away from here! Even if I tell you where he is, he'll be long gone by the time you get there!"

"You say that as if I should care. No matter where he runs, no matter where he hides, I'm going to find him. Now tell me where he is."

The girl's tail twitched back and forth at the tip, irritated that he was taking over her interrogation. She wanted to tell him off, but the others were watching. Talking to him now would make things look suspicious. Standing in silence, Noriko watched her prey squirm beneath Sonic's glare. _What is he going to do though? If he kills the monster, we might never know where Kenta is!_ Her eyes went wide in fear as her body was roughly grabbed and pressed against the ninja's with her back to his chest. His blade pressed against her throat, his arm wrapped around her in a way to pin her arms against her sides. W _hat is he doing?!_

"If you don't tell me where he is, I'll kill her. Wouldn't he rather have her alive? And besides, if she's dead, you'll never be able to get up close and personal with her. Well, not without being creepy. So what do you say? Tell me where to find Kenta and I'll help you out."

She began to tremble, her gaze shifting from the rat to her friends. One looked shocked, one looked enraged, and the other wore his typical deadpan expression. _Just please don't do anything stupid, Sonic!_

"A phone! Kenta-sensei gave me a cellphone! He gives one to all of us rats so he can tell us where to go! Y-you can trace the signal and then you'll find him!" the monster blurted out, his face going red. "N-now show me-!"

"Show you what? Something like _this_?" Sonic's left hand drifted down the girl's stomach to the hem of her shirt, slipping beneath it. "You want me to show you what's under here?" His evil grin was forming, but the rat mistook it as friendly. A deadly error.

"Yes! Show me!"

Noriko winced as his hand moved higher up her shirt, her own face turning a vibrant shade of red. A glance toward her friends showed that Saitama no longer wore a blank expression. _Damn it! Why is this happening?!_ She felt his fingertips dig beneath her bra and groped her, right in front of her friends and the monster. Her body tensed, dumbfounded that he would actually do such a thing. _This…won't end well…_ She maneuvered a leg between his, hooked her ankle around his right ankle, and swiftly threw him off balance. The blade nicked the side of her neck, blood quickly running from the wound. The girl was soon behind him, planting a sneaker on the center of his back and giving him a hard shove forward.

Sonic drove his blade through the monster's flesh and into its gut, gritting his teeth in anger. When he pulled it free, with a splash of blood, he turned toward her and grinned. "You're going to regret that. I'll make sure of it."

She stepped back quickly, a hand pressed to her bleeding neck. The rat was rapidly dying behind the man, squirming on the ground in agony. Noriko noticed a gleam to her right and held out her hand to catch one of her swords by the hilt. She moved in time to block a strike from the ninja and darted back a few more steps, wary of her surroundings. In her peripheral, she could see Genos to her right, Mumen Rider staggering toward her from the left, and Saitama rapidly approaching Sonic from behind. _Wait? Saitama?! What is he-?_ She ducked out of the way as Sonic's body flew forward and planted itself in the side of a building. Turning to look at him, she saw him twitch and knew that he was still alive. "…S-Saitama…?"

Her friend looked to her with a frown. "You okay, Nya-chan? That looks kind of deep."

The girl sank to her knees on the pavement, shivering. "Yeah, um…I-I think I'll live." The monster gave a final, shuddering breath that made its stomach jiggle one last time before the life left its body. She crawled forward and, with an absolutely disgusted look on her face, dug around in the pocket of the rat's shorts. True to his word, he had a cellphone with several names in it. Several really bizarre rat names and also Kenta's. She was about to dial it when a pair of metal arms lifted her and held her against a hard chest. "G-Genos…?"

"Master Saitama, we should leave before more of them come."

"Yeah, I know. I know. Here, Mumen Rider, put your arm over my shoulder. How bad does it hurt? Wait, first, which one of them did you fight?"


	26. Chapter 26

_I should've known better._ Noriko was walking down the street, staring at the cellphone in her hand. It had been a week since the incident in City G. There had been no word from Kenta and no announcements of other rat monsters. _I don't know why I thought he'd call. He must know what happened to Fat Rat so he doesn't really have a reason to call this number. Or maybe he's waiting for us to call him?_ She tilted her head and examined the phone for the tenth time since obtaining it. The phone itself was of cheap quality and flipped open or closed. The buttons were faded and a little worn down. _It's just lucky we found a charger for it._

She stuffed it into her pocket and sighed. The weather was getting colder so she was dressed in a grey sweater that was slightly too big for her and a pair of black leggings. Looking down at her scuffed sneakers, she frowned. _I need new shoes. I've had these since I left City G and that's been about two years. But I don't really want to throw these away…they were my mom's._ A figure brushed past her on the street and her ears perked forward, eyes lifting and then narrowing. Sonic was acting completely oblivious to her presence. _This again, hm? Like he's trying to taunt me. That pervert. I'll never forgive him for groping me in front of everyone!_

The girl walked behind him at a distance, though she was unsure of what she would do. The possibility of turning away did cross her mind, but at the same time she craved revenge. She could feel her heart racing as she stalked him. He seemed to just be casually out, walking around town. Her tail swished back and forth slowly, ears back like a cat hunting a mouse. _I don't think I can really call him a mouse though._

He stopped abruptly and looked over his shoulder at her. Of course, he had sensed her following him. She stuck out terribly and even if she did not, it was still quite obvious that she was watching the man. The other people on the street walked around him, not giving him a second glance. When his grey eyes met her green ones, he saw her reach for one of her swords. He turned to face her and held up a hand, smirking. "We're not doing that today."

"Wh-what?" Noriko froze in her actions, surprised by his words.

"I'm not fighting you when you're still recovering, idiot."

Her fangs bared in anger. "Who are you calling an idiot?! I'm not the one that…groped a girl in front of her _boyfriend_ …like he didn't realize what would happen afterwards!"

Sonic crossed his arms, a deep frown taking form. "It wasn't even your boyfriend that attacked me. It was Saitama."

"It doesn't matter! I'm here to get my revenge now!"

"I said that I'm not fighting you. What kind of monster do you take me for?" He held out a hand, his frown gradually fading. "Come here."

She shoved her hands into her pockets and leaned on one hip. "I'm…not falling for a trap," she stated simply. "And if you won't fight me…I have better things to do." Noriko turned and started walking in the direction of the apartment. He was quickly in front of her, blocking the girl's way. "Wh-what? Just what is it that you want if you don't want to fight?"

He smirked and leaned in close to her, making her take a step back. "There are plenty of things I want. Give me your hand."

"Hn." The girl was reluctant to do so, but obeyed. His fingers laced with hers and his palm felt warm against her own. Color rushed to her cheeks and she bowed her head. "S-so why did you want this?"

The thought had occurred to him before, but only recently had it begun to annoy him. Saitama and Genos were always around her. They knew her much better than he did. He hardly knew anything about the girl and had managed to push that to the back of his mind until the incident in City G. It was still unclear to him what exactly had transpired there. He did want to know. He wanted to know more about her. He wanted to be closer to her than them. It was difficult though. Worse, he did not want to admit that that was what he wanted. Admitting something like that would make him look weak. "I saw you do this with that boyfriend of yours. What? Are you not used to human hands holding yours?" he taunted.

"Sh-shut up. It's just weird." Noriko found herself walking down the street beside Sonic, her heart hammering in her chest. _I was furious when I saw him. I was ready to tear him apart. So what happened? Why do I feel like this? Nervous? Am I just afraid of someone seeing this?_ She was glad that no one seemed to be looking their way. The people around them were focused on where they were going, what they were doing, and paid no mind to the ninja and catgirl. "Er…I read the letter you sent."

He saw her face turning red and grinned evilly. "You like what you read?"

"That wasn't a love letter."

"It was a love letter. I wrote everything I would love to do you," he teased, leaning down to her cat ear. "Do you turn this red every time you think about it?"

"Hnnnn…." She felt a pleasant shiver run down her spine to the tip of her tail as he squeezed her hand gently. _What is he doing? Does he think this will make up for what he did in City G? That was unforgivable!_

"Maybe next time we're alone together, I'll leave a few marks of my own."

"Y-you can't-!"

"I won't leave them anywhere that those two will see them." He felt her shaking and raised an eyebrow. "What? Are you that afraid of them finding out? What's the worst that would happen?"

"…I don't want them to hate me…" She bit her thumbnail, eyes cast down as they walked. Behind her, the girl's tail twitched in anxiety.

"Don't you care what _I_ think?" It was a serious question. One that had been bothering him for a while. This had started as something stupid. A simple ploy to kidnap her in order to draw out Saitama. Somehow, without his even really noticing, she had become important to him. It really irked him.

The girl looked over at him and was alarmed to see that his cheeks were faintly pink. "Um…I mean, I care, but…how do I put this? I'm always around them. So if they hate me, it would really hurt and…I don't know what I would do. N-not that it would be okay if _you_ hated me! That's not what I'm trying to say. Sonic, did you know that you're blushing?"

The man frowned down at her, looking bitter. "I don't blush." He sensed that they were being watched and turned sharply to find Saitama in the distance, his gaze locked on them. He swore quietly, looked from Noriko to Saitama, and then put the girl over his shoulder.

"Wh-what are you doing?!" She locked eyes with Saitama over Sonic's shoulder and put on a frightened expression. _I really am scared though! What the hell is happening?! Am I being kidnapped?_ The ninja sprinted a good distance and leapt to get to the roof of a short building. For a split second, she thought they might be safe there.

The moment was ruined by Saitama's appearance on the edge of the roof, staring at them both blankly. He was holding some grocery bags in one hand and was dressed casually, but everyone on the roof knew that even without his hero outfit, he would act to save her. No matter what it took. "I'm only going to say this one more time, okay? Don't drag Nya-chan into our fights. She has nothing to do with it."

Sonic grinned wickedly, facing the hero and keeping Noriko facing the other way. "What? You don't like me touching her?"

"No, I don't. Now put her down. I don't feel like fighting you today."

 _Don't antagonize him! Please just put me down and-!_ The girl jolted when she felt a hand on her bottom. Her face started to turn a bright shade of her red and she braced her hands against Sonic's back to try to raise herself a little. "P-put me down! Please!"

"She sounds cute when she begs, doesn't she? What are you staring at? Weren't you going to try to take her back?" His fingers trailed over her rear, warm against her skin even through her leggings. The girl's tail bristled in outrage. "What? Don't you want her back? Or maybe you're just enjoying the show?" he continued.

Noriko yelped when his hand drew back and slapped her bottom, hard. Her nails dug into his back as she fought to free herself. _Damn it! Don't do this in front of Saitama! Just what do you expect to get out of this anyway?!_ By this point, she was certain that her face could not grow any redder. A fist pounded against his back, but she knew it was futile. He was having too much fun. Either way, she knew she had to at least try. "P-please put me down! Please! I don't…I don't know what you think will come of this, but-!" She tensed, feeling his hand move along the curve of her rear until it rested on the back of her thigh. _What is he doing?!_

He smirked and slipped his fingers between her thighs, hoping to elicit some sort of reaction from the hero in front of him. "You're being awfully quiet. I thought you didn't want me touching your pet cat, but now you're just standing there watching?"

Saitama tilted his head to the side. "Pet cat? No, you've got it wrong. I thought you knew by now. Nya-chan's my cat girlfriend," he said bluntly.

"Wait. What?" Sonic stared at him for a moment and then looked over his shoulder at Noriko, whose face was still red.

 _I don't know! What does my being a catgirl have to do with also being his friend?_ She squirmed again, driving her elbow into Sonic's back.

"Alright, this has been fun and all, but I'm getting bored now. Put Nya-chan down." He watched as the man finally obeyed, seemingly to be in shock by how Saitama had referred to the girl. When Noriko was safely standing on her own, her head bowed with strands of violet hair hiding her face, Saitama moved toward Sonic.

She was not sure what exactly happened to Sonic, but he was suddenly a few blocks away from them. _He's…half-buried in that building._ Her gaze shifted to the hero standing next to her and shivered. "S-Saitama…?"

He rubbed the back of his head and sighed. "Man. He's starting to really get on my nerves. Maybe you shouldn't go out alone anymore. I don't know what he was planning on doing with you, but I don't like the way he was touching you. He didn't hurt you, right?"

"No. I'm fine." Noriko tilted her head at the man as he surveyed the street below. People were looking up at them curiously. "Er…is Genos still at home?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Your phone rang while you were out and he answered it. The Hero Association wanted you to go fight some bad guys, but Genos told them you were still too hurt to go so he went instead. I don't know though. You feel okay, right?"

"Y-yeah. I'm fine."

He lifted her over his shoulder and jumped down from the roof, startling everyone below. Setting her down, he saw that her face was pink now. "What? Are you still embarrassed about what happened up there?"

"…who _wouldn't_ be…?"

"I don't know why you're embarrassed. It's not like I haven't seen stuff like that before. You're turning red now." Saitama frowned. "How long was he holding onto you before I got there?"

"Hn…not too long," she replied. Truthfully, it had only been a few minutes. _I wish I could have talked to him more though. That whole incident on the roof never would have happened if you hadn't appeared._ Of course, Noriko could never tell Saitama this. She was certain that he would hate her if he knew about her and Sonic. _Worse, if he finds out about those people I killed. I never want to face him in a fight._

Shrugging, he held up his bag triumphantly. "Well, I got stuff for dinner and something extra to celebrate your wounds healing. We'll wait for Genos before we start though. Wouldn't want him to miss out on the fun."

Walking behind him, she felt a little uneasy at his words. _What did he get? And why do I have the feeling that this will end badly?_ A cold wind blew past her and she shivered. Wrapping her arms around herself, her thoughts went to Koneko. The younger catgirl was still living in the wilderness and doing odd jobs for an elderly female rancher. _What will I do when it gets colder? She can't live out there when it starts to snow. She can't live in the apartment because she still hates Genos. I don't think I can trust her not to try to kill him. Maybe I should get my own apartment?_

When they returned home, Noriko sat at the table and kept her back to the kitchen while Saitama settled the grocery bag on the counter. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, still recovering from her incident with Sonic. "…I can't believe he went that far…" she muttered, not completely aware that she said it out loud.

"Yeah. I've never seen someone go that far for a fight." He turned from the kitchen counter and saw her slouching at the table. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine. He didn't…hurt me or anything."

"Which is weird. Haven't you been hurt like every other time you've run into him? The only change I can think of is that thing that happened in City G last week. I still don't know what he was thinking when he groped you."

"…yeah…weird…"

Saitama sat beside her and yawned. "I think he has a crush on you."

"Wh-what?! Why?"

"I mean, he kept touching you."

"He sent me _death threats_ in the mail just last week! He said he was going to slit my throat and watch me drown in my own blood! He said he was going to hang me with my own intenstines!" She stared at him, expecting some sort of realization that he could not possibly be right. _I don't even think Sonic likes me that much! He does stuff with me, but it's not like he's ever said anything about how he really feels! We hardly even know each other!_

The man blinked at her once before reaching over with a blank look on his face. His fingers stroked behind her feline ear, making her tail curl and forcing a purr from her. "So why didn't he just do that? This time, he didn't even threaten to hurt you. He just did that perverted stuff to you. It's pretty obvious he has a crush on you, Nya-chan." Saitama smiled when her cat instincts took over and she rubbed her face against his hand. She always looked happiest when she was like this. "It doesn't really matter anyway, right? I mean, you like Genos."

"L-love. I _love_ Genos," she corrected him. Opening her eyes, Noriko blushed pink and wondered how she had suddenly ended up sprawled across her friend's lap. "S-sorry. I need to control my cat instincts better."


	27. Chapter 27

Noriko glanced around the table, still a little confused as to what was going on. They had eaten dinner and then Saitama went to the kitchen to get whatever it was he had bought to celebrate her wounds healing. _That's still a weird thing to celebrate. And why is Mumen Rider here? Is this…some sort of group interrogation? They all know that I killed those people! They're going to ask me about it and if I don't tell them, what if they-?_

"Your tail is doing something weird, Nya-chan." Saitama sat across the table from her and set the grocery bag on the surface.

True to his word, her tail had been twitching furiously behind her on the floor. She curled it around her and grimaced. "S-so what did you get?" Her eyes widened when he pulled a few cans and bottles from the bag. "Is that…?"

"I got beer."

"Why would you get this?" Genos asked, lifting a can to examine it.

"Neither of you have had it before, right? I don't usually drink, but I thought it'd be fun to have a little party to celebrate."

"Why was I invited to this? And what are we celebrating?" Mumen Rider spoke up. He had been confused when he received the invitation, but ate dinner with them without questioning it. However, the longer he stayed, the more Genos seemed to stare at him.

"I mean, we're celebrating more than one thing. Nya-chan's wounds are pretty much healed. You both helped take down that rat monster. And we got some information on that one guy. So why not celebrate?"

" _Sonic_ killed the monster," Noriko and Mumen Rider both stated. They shared a glance and seemed to simultaneously feel ashamed of the fact.

Saitama watched this and tilted his head. "Okay, so wallow then. I don't care." He dragged a can close to him and opened it. Taking a sip, he smiled. "I just wanted to see how it would affect you guys."

"Hn." Noriko pulled a can over and opened it with caution. She sniffed at it, frowning immediately afterwards. It had a bitter sort of aroma to it. With great reluctance, she lifted the can and took a sip. It tasted just as bitter as it smelled, but went down smoothly enough. "I…guess it's not too bad…"

"This is bitter," Genos stated with absolutely no reservations.

Mumen Rider silently sipped from a can, still not sure why he had to be there. "Dinner was good. Thank you for inviting me."

"You guys are acting like that's the end of it. Let's play a game."

The catgirl set her can down, half-empty now. "What kind of game?" she asked with trepidation. _I feel tired. I just want to sleep. And Mumen Rider looks like he wants to go home._

"Truth or dare. I'll start. Hm." Saitama looked at his three companions and settled on Mumen Rider. "Okay. Truth or dare?"

 _Why are we playing this? I thought this was a game that teenage girls play._ Noriko slouched and shifted her gaze to the brunette to her left. Tilting her head, she began to wonder what sort of question or dare Saitama had prepared for him.

"T-truth, I guess."

"That's no fun. Pick dare."

"I don't-"

"It won't be embarrassing; I promise."

He sighed and conceded. "Alright. I choose dare."

Saitama smiled. "I dare you to take off your glasses and give them to Nya-chan."

"Wh-what?! Why?"

"Just do it." He watched the man nervously remove his glasses and hand them to the girl. His eyes were lowered to the beer can in front of him, face turning pink with embarrassment. Saitama's smile grew. "Alright. Now you ask someone."

"I don't have-"

"Just make up a truth or dare off the top of your head. You don't have to put too much thought into it. This is just for fun." He leaned back and sipped his drink, watching Mumen Rider fidget with his own can.

"A-alright." He was hesitant to ask Saitama since he had been the one to dare him so he looked at the other two. Genos was watching him intensely and Noriko was curiously looking at his glasses. "Noriko. Truth or dare?"

"Hn…dare." She lifted her gaze to meet his and tilted her head. _It can't be too bad, right? It's Mumen Rider after all._

Fairly certain that he knew why Saitama made him give his glasses to her, he found his dare. "Alright. I dare you to put my glasses on."

"On you?" she asked with hesitance.

"N-no! Um, on yourself, I guess?"

She slipped them on and frowned. _Everything's sort of blurry. What was the point of me…?_ Looking at her friends, she raised an eyebrow. "S-so? Does it look weird?"

"You look cute in glasses, Nya-chan."

"I-it does suit you," Mumen Rider agreed.

Genos held out his hand expectantly. "Take them off."

Suspecting he might break them, she slid them off and hurriedly handed them back to Mumen Rider. "So…my turn now? Let's see." An evil grin started to form on her face. She took another sip of her beer and felt a rush of giddiness. "Genos. Truth or dare?"

"Dare."

"Everyone's being so daring tonight," Saitama remarked with a snicker. "Make it good, Nya-chan."

"Hn. I dare you to finish your drink right now. You've hardly touched it." She watched him finish it, wincing at the bitter taste, and giggled quietly.

"Why are you trying to get him drunk?"

"I-I'm not! I just-!"

"Master Saitama, truth or dare."

Things went on like this for a while with mild, safe dares and mild, safe truths. When Noriko started on her third drink, she noticed things beginning to take a turn. _Now that I think about it…didn't Saitama say he doesn't really drink that often? Maybe that's for a good reason._

"Mumen Rider, truth or dare?"

The cyclist was leaning against the wall behind him, glasses sitting low on his nose and looking like he might pass out. "T-truth?"

"That's no fun. Alright, I'll think of a good one." Saitama looked toward Noriko and smiled. "Okay, this should settle things for everyone. Do you have a crush on Nya-chan?"

"She's not my type! Don't make me say things that she might take offense to!" he protested, face turning pink. He was mostly awkward around her because she was a catgirl. He had never encountered one before her and he was unsure of how she would react to certain things. He regarded her as terrifying unpredictable. As these thoughts swirled through his head, he suddenly slumped in place and his eyes closed.

Saitama leaned over and waved a hand in front of his face. "He's asleep. Well that kind of messes things up. He was supposed to ask next." His smile grew. "I'll ask for him. Nya-chan, truth or dare?"

"Truth." She was toying with the end of her tail, afraid of what he might ask.

"What's the worst thing you've ever done?" He asked this with the expectation that she might have shoplifted at some point or that she would bring up the death of the first rat monster.

 _This is it. He knows and he's asking. If I lie…what's going to happen to me?_ Noriko glanced over at Genos. He was watching her as well. With a sigh, she bowed her head and let strands of dark purple hair fall over her eyes. "I…I know that you know. You have to, right? Probably. And if you didn't know…this will just get it over with. And I won't blame you if you hate me for this. The twenty-three bodies that they found on that mountain…I killed half of them."

"Wait, what?! What are you talking about?"

"Th-the bodies…you were talking about a while ago…they found them on that mountain and I killed half of them. B-but I didn't want to! I didn't want to kill them and it's been bothering me ever since! So I won't blame you if-!"

"Why did you kill them? Surely you had a reason for it," Genos interrupted.

"…Sonic…wouldn't let me go unless I did it…" Without another word, she pushed herself to stand. The room seemed to spin for a moment, the alcohol rushing to her head, but she was able to keep her balance. Not sure of where she was going or what she was going to do, the girl ended up walking into the bathroom and closing the door. She settled on the floor near the bathtub and her feline ears twitched, picking up the sound of their voices. _I'm sure they hate me now. They're trying to decide when they'll kill me or when they'll turn me in to the Hero Association. I just…couldn't deal with it anymore. Not knowing if they knew or not._

"Why would he make her kill people?"

"Beats me. Maybe he thought she wouldn't go through with it. You know he has a crush on her, right?" There was a pause. "You think Mumen Rider's going to be okay? He looks pretty out of it."

Noriko, still less than sober, looked at the small window set in the bathroom wall. She opened it and stared down at the ground. _I can make that. Right? I just can't stay here. I don't know what might happen._ Hoisting herself through the window, she found herself landing on a neighbor's balcony instead of the ground. She eventually managed to get down to the street and moved quietly in the darkness. The night air was cold and she shivered in discomfort, but she feared going back to the apartment.

Shoving her hands into the pockets of her sweater, she frowned. _So now what? I left my swords. Not that I should be carrying them with alcohol in my system._ Her tail swayed back and forth, the fur puffed up in an effort to keep her warm. There were few people out on the street at this time of the evening. She doubted that Mumen Rider would be leaving the apartment until the next morning so she knew he would not pursue her. _I need to find shelter. It's been over two months since I had to sleep outside though. It's weird to think about sleeping in an alley._

The cold air was making her tired and soon she was struggling to focus on where she was going. She managed to find the convenience store and stepped inside, embracing the warm air within. The clerk gave her a nod, which she returned. _Now what do I do? I need to figure something out. I can't wander all night. Eventually, I'll have to make my way back to the apartment and get my stuff, too. When would be a good time?_ Noriko wandered down an aisle and vaguely noticed the arrival of another late night customer. She spared them no glances, instead trying to form a plan. _I can't stay in City Z for too long. Now that they know, they'll be looking for me. What should I do about Koneko though? I can't leave her here on her own. She could be used as bait to make me come back. So I'll have to find her, wherever she is in that forest, and take her with me when I leave the city. I can't stay here tonight. I need to move fast. I need supplies though if we're going to be on the run. What should I get? Wait…do I even have any money on me? Damn it!_

Suddenly aware of a set of eyes on her, Noriko turned to find a young man in a hooded sweatshirt standing behind her. He gave her a lopsided grin and a small wave. "Hn…do you need something?" she asked, taking a step away from him.

He smelled strongly of alcohol and took a step closer to her, his grin never faltering. "You're that girl. Samurai Catgirl."

"…what if I _am_ …?"

"Ah. So you saw my letter, right? What'd you think?" There was a flash of disappointment in his eyes for a moment. "You're so popular. You probably get a lot of mail, huh? My name's Kyou."

"I'm sorry, but I don't-"

"Don't play _dumb_! I sent you a heartfelt love letter and you never wrote back to me! I poured my heart and soul into that letter and you're just going to pretend like it meant _nothing_ to you?!" He grabbed her wrist and yanked her toward him. Seeing her tail puff up in surprise, he snickered. "What the hell is _that_? Are you some kind of _scaredy-cat_? You look so tough on TV, but in real life you're a _coward_ , aren't you?"

She glanced toward the clerk's counter, but was horrified to find that the clerk had abandoned their post. Hoping that they were calling for help, she looked back to the young man. "I really am sorry that I don't remember it, but you can't just grab a person and-"

"I can do whatever I want! It's us normal people that pay you heroes to fight for us! We own you! As long as I pay you, you'll do whatever I want, right?"

"Th-that's not how it works!" she argued, anger threading in with her fear. _What is he going to do? I don't have my swords and if I had to kill him barehanded, it would take too long!_

"You're back-talking now? Maybe I should just teach you some manners! Little Miss Too-Stuck-Up-To-Remember-Her-Devoted-Fans!" He drew back a fist and it slammed into her left cheek, hard. When he moved to strike again, his eyes caught sight of something suddenly behind the girl. More accurately someone. "What? You think you can-?"

Noriko's eyes widened as an arm wrapped around her from behind and the young man's body flew away from her. She began to tremble, feeling the cold metal of the arm through her shirt. _He must have followed me. I was caught this easily and I haven't even made it out of the city._ The girl refused to turn around, out of fear and despair. She knew that he must hate her now. She knew that he would do what any other hero would do; exterminate her or take her to jail. _Jail…and what Sonic said about breaking me out. But I don't want this! I never wanted Genos to hate me!_ Tears rolled down her cheeks as she stood frozen in place, her heart racing painfully.

Seconds seemed to pass like minutes and the young man who had accosted her was lying motionless on the ground. The clerk was still gone. Noriko stood there for as long as she could, but the adrenaline from jumping out the window and fleeing was beginning to wear off. Her fear was turning to a numbed sense of resignation. _I'm going to die. That's all there is to it._ With this final thought, her body went limp in his hold. She was only vaguely aware of him lifting her.


	28. Chapter 28

Noriko drifted through nightmares. Absolutely horrific dreams of the past and what she expected to be her future. Dreams of her death and Koneko's. Dreams of her boyfriend's face, his eyes full of hatred. When consciousness pulled her from the darkest depths of her mind, she found herself back in the apartment. She was lying on her side, her face hurting and her head aching worse. The light coming in from the balcony made her squint, pain flooding her senses. _Why did he bring me here though?_ She quickly became aware of the fact that her arms were stuck behind her back by something tightly wrapped around her wrists. _Why didn't he just finish me while I was unconscious?_

"Oh, hey. I didn't know you were awake."

The girl turned her head and saw Saitama standing near the kitchen. She opened her mouth to speak, but decided against it. _What can I even say? Do I just ask how long until they take me to jail? That has to be what they're going to do. They wouldn't draw it out if they were going to kill me…right?_

He tilted his head, puzzled by her silence. "What? You're being quieter than usual." His eyes moved to the position of her arms and he frowned. "Oh. I forgot about that. Here, one second." The man crouched behind her and worked the knot loose on the clothes line. "There you go."

She quickly moved away from him and rubbed her wrists, seeing red impressions in her skin. Her green eyes narrowed on Saitama as she put her back against the opposite wall. He simply stared back at her, as if nothing was wrong. Licking her lips, she attempted speech again and paused. She looked around the room, glancing to the kitchen and toward the bathroom. "…Genos…?" she managed to ask.

"He's in the bathroom. Are you feeling okay today? You had a lot to drink yesterday."

Drawing her knees to her chest, she wrapped her arms around herself. "M-my head hurts…and my cheek hurts."

"There's coffee in the fridge. That should help with the headache."

With extreme caution, Noriko walked to the kitchen and retrieved a can of chilled coffee. Settling on the floor across from him, she took a few careful sips. "You're…acting like nothing's different. What's going to happen to me? Am I going to jail or am I going to die?"

"Is that why you ran off last night?" he asked, surprised. "I mean, I could understand being nervous, but you went kind of crazy. You jumped out that window and then you kept trying to get away after Genos brought you home."

Her face turned red with shame. "I-I don't remember that last part."

"I just couldn't believe you got so far after drinking for the first time." They both looked over as the bathroom door opened. Genos stepped out and walked through the apartment to the door before leaving, not once looking at them or speaking. "By the way, he's not talking to us."

"Why?"

Saitama shrugged. "He's mad at us, I guess. I mean, you kept a pretty big secret from him." His expression turned sheepish. "And I kind of kept a secret from him, too. I didn't really mean to. I thought he already knew."

"…knew what…?" Noriko sipped her coffee again, feeling the bitter liquid settle in her stomach. _It is helping my headache though. I still don't understand. What's going to happen to me? He never said I wasn't going to jail. Or going to die._

"About Sonic having a crush on you. I thought Genos already knew."

"How long have you known?"

"Since the day you started strength training and he showed up. The whole time he was there, he kept looking at you." His expression turned serious now. "Let's go train."

"Wh-what?"

"Let's go. We can pick up Koneko and take her with us."

"Where's Mumen Rider?"

"Huh? Oh. Genos took him home last night. Look, don't worry about it. He was out cold when you told us about what happened. And I don't think the Hero Association needs to know you were part of that."

Three days passed, in which Genos refused to speak to his roommates. Saitama went to extra lengths to make Noriko feel as if everything was alright, reassuring her that she would not be going to jail. They trained every day, bringing Koneko along with them.

The third day, they were out for a run together when he noticed Noriko looking particularly bothered. She had been silent for most of the run, simply listening to his conversation with Koneko. "You okay, Nya-chan?"

"Hn…Genos still isn't talking to us."

"You don't need that creepy blonde guy!" Koneko protested.

"What did I tell you, kid?" Saitama gave her a warning look that made Koneko's ears draw back in guilt. "Nya-chan, he'll have to talk to us eventually. Did you see how he kept looking at us today? He wants to talk. Just give him some time."

Her head bowed as she ran and she frowned. _I haven't seen Sonic since that day. It's weird. Usually he would be waiting to ambush Saitama or try to attack us while we're training._ The thought of him made her start to growl at the back of her throat. _That creep! That jerk! It's his fault that Genos is mad at me!_ She started to run faster, getting ahead of the other two. The air felt cold as it rushed through her long purple hair and she curled her hands into tight fists.

"Big sister, you're running too fast!" Koneko called from behind her.

Saitama lifted the younger catgirl onto his back and easily caught up with Noriko. "You know he loves you, right? As soon as he knew you had left, he went off to find you."

Though it made her feel better, it was only marginal. She parted ways with Saitama and Koneko, deciding to go home early. The second she stepped into the apartment, her tail started to twitch in anxiety. Genos was sitting on the floor with a laptop open, his eyes focused on the screen. Her ears went back and she moved quietly toward her bag to get clean clothes, intending to take a shower and bath. _He won't even look at me_ , she thought with despair.

In actuality, he was watching her from the corner of his eye. True, he was still upset about her keeping such a big secret from him. What he hated more than that was the fact that she had thought he would really kill her or turn her in. It hurt that she thought he would turn against her so quickly. Though he could see it from her point of view. She was afraid of him for a good reason and he still felt terrible about nearly incinerating her in the past. He found himself turning his head to look at her as she dug through her bag. Noriko was wearing a pair of tight leggings and a black t-shirt that hugged her chest and stomach, the neckline dipping low. He tried to turn his focus back to the computer, searching for any hints regarding Kenta, but it was difficult.

Noriko went into the bathroom and sighed once the door was locked. _I just want things to either go back to normal or just…I don't know. If I had gone to jail, it might have been better. It hurts. Knowing that he's mad at me and we can't even talk about it._ She started the water and waited for it to heat up as she undressed. When the warm water hit her skin, she released a soft purr and stretched. _This…is just what I needed._ She washed the sweat from her training off of her skin, reveling in the scent of the soap and the steam rising in the air. Her tail curled at the end, the content purr continuing as she let the water rinse away the suds and sadness.

The girl closed her eyes and ran her fingers through her long violet hair, trying to determine what to do after her bath. Wondering if she wanted to bother with a bath. The thought of sitting in silence as she ran the water was becoming less and less appealing. She found herself thinking about Saitama and frowned. Since Genos started ignoring them, the bald hero had been talking to her more and more. He went out of his way to try to cheer her up. _He's always sort of been like that_ , she realized. _He's always been right there…ready to talk or cheer me up. Even if he makes that unsettling face, I guess he's pretty helpful._

"Noriko, is the door unlocked?"

Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest at the sound of his voice. "G-Genos? Um…d-do you need the bathroom? I'll leave. Um…" She quickly turned off the water and grabbed her towel to wrap it around her. _He's actually talking to me! I can't mess this up!_ Snatching up her change of clothes, she moved to open the bathroom door.

He was waiting there and seemed almost startled when she opened the door for him. She was standing there, her hair still damp and her body covered by just a towel. The girl's cheeks turned red when she met his gaze and moved to slip past him to the sitting room. Without thinking twice, he put an arm out to stop her. He gently pushed her back into the bathroom and stepped in, locking the door behind him.

"G-Genos? I-I thought you needed the bathroom." Noriko lowered her head, ears back and tail twitching anxiously behind her. The feeling of his metal hands on her shoulders made her look up warily. "I…I didn't tell you…because I never wanted you to hate me. I was sure that you'd hate me if you knew and…and…" She felt his hands leave her shoulders and closed her eyes, certain that he was still angry. When the man's grip shifted to her waist and he pulled her against his chest, she felt her worries starting to melt. "…are you still angry…?"

He leaned down, putting his face inches from her own. "I am still angry, but I am tired of not speaking to you. Are you sorry for not telling me?"

"I-I am! I am sorry! I was just worried about what you'd think and-" Noriko was cut off by his lips pressing against hers. She felt her heart skip a beat and a giddiness seemed to overtake her. The girl put her arms around his neck and kissed back, letting her fingertips trace over the cool metal of his neck and shoulders. The hands on her waist tightened their hold and she found herself being lifted. Her legs wrapped around his waist as he moved across the room, pressing her back against the wall. She leaned back a little, breaking the kiss to meet his gaze. One of his hands left her hips and moved to the front of his pants. "S-so…do you forgive me?"

The corner of his mouth lifted into a smirk and he pressed forward against her. "Yes." It took little time to get his pants open and soon he was pushing the head of his member against her warm lower lips. Noriko's mouth opened in a gasp and he took the opportunity to capture her lips once more, his tongue running along her bottom lip. Her fingertips pressed harder against his back as he pushed his length into her. They both closed their eyes as he filled her completely and they stayed in this position for a moment as her muscles stretched to accommodate him.

She lightly bit at his lip, trying to urge him to start moving. When his hips drew back and then pushed back in, she threw her head back. "Ngh! A-aaaaah! Genos!"

"If you don't control your volume, someone might hear us," he teased, leaning down to the side of her neck. His teeth grazed over her sensitive skin and her back arched, hips thrusting forward to meet his. Instantly, he sped up. Moving at a faster pace brought forth more sounds from the girl and he did nothing to muffle them. Ignoring her had entailed more than simply refusing words. He had tried not to look at her. He had not touched her. Genos tried to remind himself that it had only been three days, but that did nothing to stop his lust for the girl. She was looking at him now, her green eyes shining back with a passion that rivaled his own.

Noriko's face turned pink at the direct eye contact and she soon looked away. Her pleasure was building quickly, her juices making his member slick and creating a small, wet sound each time he thrust into her. The girl was panting and moaning quietly, getting closer and closer to her climax. Just as she was about to reach it, she felt his member slide out of her and not return. He held her in place, staring down at her with a slight smirk. "Wh-what are you doing?"

"I said that I will forgive you, but I never said that I would forgive you without punishment." He lowered her to the floor and braced his body over hers, slipping a hand between her legs. His middle finger pressed against her clit and Noriko's hips lifted, grinding against his fingertip. His free hand went behind her head, but before he could act, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his face down to hers. The blonde was surprised by how aggressive she was acting, but did not object to it.

Her lips latched onto his as he rubbed circles over the bundle of nerves, edging her closer and closer to a climax. She broke the kiss as a loud moan left her, the girl's face turning red with shame. "Genos, p-please!"

"Do you want something?" The cyborg watched her with amusement. Her face was contorting with pleasure, lips parted as another moan escaped. Though he wanted release just as badly as she did, he wanted to draw this out just a little longer.

"I-I want…I want you…to f-fill me…please…" she panted. _This is so embarrassing!_ Though she hated begging, she was glad when he obliged. He was soon thrusting into her, harder and faster than before. Her arms encircled his neck, fingertips pressing tight against the cool metal of his body. The girl's back arched as her climax hit, her chest brushing his as her towel finally came open. "Ngh! Genos~"

His release came seconds later and he pushed his hips into hers one last time. Seeing her stare up at him, panting and blushing, made him feel the mood coming back to him rapidly. He waited a moment, letting her catch her breath, before he started to thrust into her again. She winced, still sensitive from her last climax, and squirmed beneath him.

When they were finished, the two were alarmed to find Saitama sitting in the next room reading manga. Noriko went straight to the kitchen, trying to keep her back to him as she attempted to stop blushing. _I can't believe he was just sitting out here while we did that! How long has he been home?!_

He glanced up from his book as Genos sat near him. "Oh, you're done? That's cool. I wanted to know if you guys are up for a sale at the store tonight. We'll have to get there soon, but it's a pretty good deal."

"Yes, that sounds like a good plan."

There was a long, awkward silence that followed. Saitama turned the page in his manga and frowned. "So you're talking to us again?"

"I believe that my anger was misdirected. Noriko helped me to understand that."

The man gave Genos a blank look. "Through sex?"

Completely ignoring the question, the blonde continued talking. "The person I should be angry with is Sonic for putting her into that situation. I only wish I had thought of this sooner. I may have acted rashly."

At this, Saitama finally set his book aside. "Uh, Genos? What did you do?"


	29. Chapter 29

It was almost as if things were back to normal. Almost. Noriko could still feel a tension between her and Genos. _Like he doesn't completely trust me. I don't blame him though after I kept a secret like that from him._ She stretched her arms over her head and purred, nuzzling her head against the hand petting behind her ear. _Wait…what?_ Her eyes snapped open and she frowned. The girl had been napping in her usual spot on the floor and was now looking up at Saitama, somehow having sprawled across his lap in her sleep. Thankfully, his eyes were on the television screen so she was spared the embarrassment of being seen blushing.

The apartment door opened and Genos entered just in time to see Saitama rest a hand on the catgirl's exposed stomach. He frowned upon seeing this and contemplated saying something, but decided against it. Instead, he went to the kitchen to put away the groceries. He did glance over as he worked, watching the man's fingers skim over her pale skin as he absently watched an anime. She squirmed a little, but seemed reluctant to stop him. A guilty look crossed her face when she saw Genos staring and he realized why. "Master Saitama, her feline instincts are bound to kick in if you keep doing that," he spoke up.

"Huh? Oh. I didn't even realize I was doing that. Sorry, Nya-chan." He drew his hands away from her ear and stomach, not the least bit embarrassed at his actions. "Genos, did you get the mail?"

"I did. I will bring it over when I am done here."

Noriko sat up, moving a few feet away from Saitama as a blush settled on her cheeks. _I need to get better control of my cat instincts. I can't keep rubbing my face on his hand and letting him pet behind my ears. I'm a person. I'm not a pet cat._ She looked toward the rat monster's phone, perched on the top of the bookshelf. No calls or text messages had come through. It seemed that Kenta knew what would happen if he did make contact. _I wish he would say something so we can at least figure out his location. Genos has been running searches on him, but there's nothing online._

The cyborg sat between her and Saitama for a moment before rethinking it. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he pulled her onto his lap and began sorting the mail. Though he was never going to admit it, he felt a pang of jealousy when he saw her and Saitama getting along so well. Without a word, he started going through her mail right in front of her.

"…why do you do that…?"

He froze. "What?"

"You always go through my mail before giving it to me," she pointed out. Even as she spoke, he continued to tear open envelopes and quickly skim the contents before putting it in one of two piles.

"I am filtering out the obscene letters and photos," he finally answered after a long pause.

"Are you sure you're not looking for something from Sonic? You never did tell us what you did." Saitama's attention had shifted from the television now.

The blonde silently sorted through the rest of the mail, suddenly refusing to acknowledge either of them. When he came across one particular letter, he frowned and put it in front of Noriko. "This girl wants you to send her a picture of your boyfriend."

"Hn. Junko from City G?" She took the letter and grimaced. _Yeah, she's asking for a picture of my boyfriend. I don't want to do that, but she did give me some valuable information while I was in City G. I do owe her a little, I guess._ Leaning back against his chest, she tilted her head and wondered if Genos would even let her take a picture of him.

"Hey, do you guys want to go do something? This is a rerun." Saitama turned off the television and found both of his friends looking at him. "What? Did I miss something?"

 _If I sent a picture of Genos, wouldn't that make Junko want more? That would get really annoying._ Her tail flicked back and forth, lightly tapping the cyborg's side. "…want to take some pictures…?"

The three were soon outside, walking down the street in the chilled autumn air. Noriko purchased a digital camera and gave it to Genos, who seemed confused by her plan, but agreed to go along with it. She walked alongside Saitama and he snapped a couple of pictures to test it out. While she was certain that sending a picture of Saitama would deter Junko from wanting more, Genos thought that it might redirect the girl's interest to his master. He lowered the camera as he watched the two converse ahead of him, feeling that pang of jealousy again. When he was not speaking to them, they seemed to have grown closer. Shaking his head, he tried to convince himself that nothing would come of it.

"What's your type anyway? You said before that Mumen Rider isn't your type. So are you just into blondes or something?" Saitama asked.

"Hn…I don't know. Before I moved here, I never really interacted with any guys other than Kenta. I just know that Mumen Rider isn't my type." She bowed her head, biting her bottom lip for a moment as she fidgeted with her bottle of juice. "I kind of like black hair."

Immediately, he looked to Genos. The blonde's eye seemed to twitch. "Don't."

"What?" Noriko followed his gaze and frowned. "G-Genos? Um…I mean, I love you. I didn't mean…you know…"

"No. I understand. You prefer black hair."

"Genos. I'm serious. Don't think about it. She likes you the way you are." Saitama gave him a firm stare until the cyborg seemed to calm a little. "Alright?"

"Yes. Alright." He snapped a photo of the two staring at him, simply trying to break the awkward tension now hanging heavy in the air.

"Can I have some?" Saitama asked, his eyes shifting to Noriko's bottle of juice.

"Uh…I already drank from it."

"So? What, you have germs or something?" He accepted it from her and drank half of what was left. Handing it back, he wiped his mouth and smiled. "You know, I used to have black hair before it fell out."

 _I don't think Genos can handle much more. Is Saitama purposefully trying to agitate him as revenge for when he ignored us?_ Her ears went back as her phone started to ring. Answering it only brought trouble. "Hello? Hn…yes. Mm-hm. Alright, I'll…try to be there soon. Yes, I'll bring him with me." She turned toward her friends and saw that Saitama was suddenly missing. Tucking her phone into her pocket, she ran her fingers through her long hair. "Saitama…?"

"He remembered a sale at the market. Was that the Hero Association?" Genos gave her a curious, almost hopeful look. As if he needed the stress relief of pulverizing a monster.

"City K is being attacked by monsters," she replied. "They said to bring you with me."

Noriko was able to run most of the way herself, but at some point had to be lifted onto his back. Her arms wrapped tightly around him from behind, her face lowered to keep the wind from stinging her eyes as he ran. _I know I'm getting stronger, but I still wish I could run as fast as they can. Damn it. I just hope this doesn't take too long. I hate when it takes forever to take down a monster!_

They arrived and found the trouble almost instantly. There were five massive doglike monsters wandering the shopping district in a pack formation as if they were hunting. A few people had already been seriously injured or killed, strewn on the sidewalks like litter. The monsters stood taller than both heroes, easily breaking ten feet in height, and seemed to be capable of shifting onto their hind legs. Standing around the corner of a building, Noriko watched the five monsters walk down the center of the street. "…they're not armed…?"

"Why do you think they would ask for a Class S hero to accompany you? There must be some reason-" Genos went silent as one monster opened their mouth and released a powerful blast of fire onto the exterior of a building. Another began to claw its way up to the roof of an electronics store. He pushed Noriko behind him and he prepared to launch a blast at the group. "I do not want you to get close to them. Do you understand? Allow me to handle these monsters."

"I can fight them! I'm not as weak as you seem to think I am!" she argued.

"They are dogs and you are a cat. What do you intend to do? What if your feline instincts take over and you act rashly? Allow me to handle them, Noriko."

She unsheathed both swords and scowled. "I'm not…letting you protect me like some weakling! I'm going to fight them!" she argued.

By now the monsters had sensed them and were turning their heads. One of them, its belly large and rubbing the ground as he waddled toward them, began to drool. He tilted his head and then threw it back, laughing hysterically. "Oh, did we scare the little humans? I didn't think they'd send out a dogcatcher and a nasty cat, but I can smell it in the air!"

Another lifted its head, sniffing at the air. "Girl cat," it stated in a growl. "Rip up girl cats! Useless creatures!"

"Girl cats good fun before you rip up," another argued. "Catch girl cat and use before rip it up."

"It's so _considerate_ of the humans to send us a little chew toy before we get to the real fun!" the fourth chimed in. "Tasty girl flesh and bones and blood! Been a while, hasn't it?"

"Hold on." The largest monster stopped in his tracks and sniffed the air for himself. "You smell that metal? Did they send some sort of machine with her?"

"Tasty machine?"

"Killing machine!"

"Kill the machine!" two of them roared at once.

Noriko gave Genos an expectant look. "So…I'm still helping. There are only five. They don't seem too bright. It shouldn't take long if we each take two and then team up for the last one."

He turned his back on the monsters to give her a stern look. "I do not want you to be put in danger. I will take care of them and-" The cyborg's shoulder was grabbed and he was yanked backwards, his body flying into the side of a building.

The girl swore and dodged a snap of the jaws of the attacking dog monster. With the blunt end of her right sword's handle, she bashed it on the end of the snout. It crouched to hold its injured nose and she leapt over its hunched back, intending to get to her boyfriend. She narrowly dodged a swipe of a massive, clawed hand as another monster tried to swat her out of the air. Noriko ducked and moved quickly to avoid each one as she sprinted to where Genos was pushing himself to stand up. "I didn't think they looked that strong," she remarked, nervously biting her lip. "What do you think? Should we call Saitama?"

Determination filled his eyes as he looked from her to the monsters. If he let her call for his master, he would no longer be protecting her himself. This was his chance to show that he could protect her without Saitama's help. "We can do this without him," he stated with confidence.

Her eyes widened as she saw the drool from one dog hit the street with a sizzling sound. _Is that one…drooling acid?! What is that? If either of us gets hit with that, we'll…_ She glanced at Genos, who was preparing to attack the largest monster. "…you're sure about this…?"

"I am certain that I can do this. I want you to stay out of the fighting. If one of them comes near you, yell for me and I will be here to protect you." His gold and black eyes met her green ones. "Only call for Master Saitama if I tell you to, alright? I am perfectly capable of protecting my own girlfriend from some mongrels." Genos lifted her chin and pressed his lips to hers briefly before turning to rush at the monsters.

She stood there for a moment, stunned. Her eyes took in every detail as he became airborne, blasts of fire coming from his shoulder blades as he drew back an arm and curled his hand into a fist. The dog monster shifted quickly to face him, seeming to sense his approach, and caught his fist in a clawed hand. A smirk overtook its features before it snapped at the cyborg's face. Rows of sharp teeth scraped over the blonde's face, leaving deep gouges in the material and taking out a chunk of blonde hair when the monster snapped its head back.

A second monster turned its attention toward Genos and the largest one as the other three looked toward Noriko. _Just what did he think the other ones would do while he fought the big one?!_ She brandished her swords and glanced at each one. The middle monster and the one on the left were both scrawny, drool running from their jaws. The one on the right seemed to be more muscled and watched her with eyes that reflected intelligence and mirth. _Damn it! Of course, the fat and stupid one went to Genos! I have the one that breathed fire and the one that drools acid!_ She set her mouth in a straight line, not wanting her fear to show. "Look. If you leave the city now, I'll let you live. If you attack me, I'll make sure that you regret it."

"Girl flesh." The left one sniffed at her, taking a step closer. "Sweet girl flesh. _Tasty_ girl flesh? Smells tasty sweet. Good bones for crunching! Want to chew those girl bones!"

"Girl _cat_ flesh," the middle one corrected. "Cat flesh always tasty. Cat bones fragile. Snap, pop, crack! Fun sounds from cat bones! Girl cat bones make same sound?"

The one on the right smirked and leaned in toward the girl, snout stopping inches from her chest. He towered over her in height and his fur seemed to bristle at her scent. "Girl bones. Girl cat bones. They all taste the same, if you ask me. The real question should be the taste of the flesh. She looks soft enough to bite clean through."

"Want a taste! Want a taste of girl cat flesh!" The middle monster lunged forward, but her hands caught the top of his head and the bottom of his snout before he could fully reach her.

She was struggling to hold her swords as well as she threaded her fingers into the dog monster's thick brown fur, but she managed it and glared down into its golden eyes. "Hn. Did you think I'd just _let_ you?" Her knee drove up sharply, slamming into its chin and making it reel back in pain the second she released his fur. Noriko leapt back and away before the monster on the left could snap its jaws on her head. A quick glance at Genos showed that the two monsters he was fighting were actually proving a challenge. _What are these?! That one was so sneaky and so strong that he threw Genos like he was nothing! And that one that breathes fire and the one that drools acid! What are these things?!_

The monster on the right seemed to grin before rushing forward. A clawed hand grabbed her by the throat and lifted her so that her feet dangled over the ground. "I'm going to tear open your stomach and watch your insides fall out," the monster hissed in her ear. "That mechanical human you came with will see us feast on your organs and brain. Now let me hear you scream!"

Noriko kneed him beneath the chin, forcing his head back, and tore from his hold. Falling to the ground, she quickly put distance between herself and the monster. _Damn it! Now what?!_


	30. Chapter 30

"Is he still sulking?"

"How'd they get him this time? Was it the same low-class hero that defeated him last time?"

"You didn't hear? This time it was a hero from Class S. Don't tell me you haven't heard the rumor? I thought _everyone_ knew!"

"I heard that he had a crush on the hero's girlfriend so the hero brought him here so he'd leave her alone. Isn't that kind of pathetic?"

He ignored the chatter, knowing that it involved him. Plenty of rumors were being spread about him and, unfortunately, a few of them were true. It pissed him off. Worse, he had been in prison for a full week and there seemed to be no sign of getting out any time soon. Walking around took his mind off of it for a while and allowed him to think of other things. Thoughts of revenge were prevalent. After all, what had he really done to deserve this?

When Genos found him, he was just going about his day like normal. No one had been killed, yet. He was just walking to the convenience store. The fight that followed had been mostly unprovoked. He did taunt the cyborg a little. Certainly the taunting did not warrant being beaten, delivered to the jail, and blamed for the death of every person found on the mountain.

Sonic found himself wandering along a row of cells, reluctant to approach the one that he knew held his only hope for escape. "Hey. When are you leaving again?"

"What's wrong? You don't like being apart from your crush?"

His brow furrowed, hands in his pockets as he leaned against the hard wall beside the bars of the cell. "It's not a crush."

"You know, you shouldn't covet things that belong to other people. Isn't that what got you put back here? Who knew Genos could be so _possessive_? It's sort of endearing though. He loves her so much that he'll get rid of all the competition."

"Who said she isn't _mine_?"

"I'm pretty sure Genos was saying that by dragging you here." There was a shift within the cell as the man sat up on his bed and turned on the television. "Since you came all the way up here to visit me, why don't you come in and sit down? We can watch a romantic comedy~"

"Thanks, but no thanks. Just tell me when you're planning to leave again."

"You're so naughty, Sonic! Breaking out of jail because you can't stand to be away from your crush~"

He shivered at the man's tone and crossed his arms. _I just need something to come up. Even if it's just a monster attacking a city, I can probably convince him that some guy needs his protection. Once I'm able to get away from him, I'll be able to get my revenge._ Hearing the channels on the television change, he frowned. "What? Can't find the movie you were looking for?" he taunted.

"Oh? It looks like something's happening in City K. Are those dog monsters?" Puri Puri Prisoner leaned closer toward the screen, head tilted.

"Dog monsters?" Sonic moved a little, peering into the cell at the screen. It was hard to see from that angle, but he could hear the panic in the news anchor's voice.

"Genos?! Oh no!"

"Genos?" Now the ninja moved closer to the bars, squinting to try to see better. "Is he alone?"

"There's a girl with him. Some hussy with cat ears and a tail. This won't do! Poor Genos looks so banged up!"

"How does the girl look?"

"What? Who cares-?" Puri Puri Prisoner frowned and turned his head, raising an eyebrow. "Wait a minute. Is that _her_? That's the little tramp you have a crush on? You could do so much better~" Looking back to the screen, he sighed. "She looks alright, but poor Genos is taking so much damage! I have to help him!"

"Finally. Make it quick."

"You just want to see that hussy," the taller man pouted.

 **Shift P.O.V**

Things were not looking good for them. Noriko was doing her best to fend off attacks, but managed to get bitten and scratched plenty. Genos was much worse off. The largest dog monster had already managed to tear off the cyborg's left arm and cracked the material of his face. The two heroes were fighting to the best of their ability, but the monsters were attacking again and again no matter what they did. They were still separate; Genos fighting the two stronger ones and Noriko battling against two weak ones and one strong one.

 _I don't know how much longer I can do this! I know he said to not call Saitama unless he said to, but if we try to keep this up then I know something bad will happen! How can these things be so strong?!_ They seemed to attack with no regard for their safety and it reminded her painfully of how she used to fight. How Kenta had trained her to fight. This thought made her grit her teeth as she dodged a swipe from a large, clawed hand. _Kenta. What if he's involved in this, too? It would make sense. They're like mutated wild dogs, right?_

"Snap, crack, pop! Girl cat bones in my mouth!" one of the monsters snarled, lunging forward. It yelped as she struck down with both swords, slicing into its scalp.

Leaping back, her eyes wandered to her boyfriend. He was fending off the other two, causing damage to them that they seemed to ignore. The bulky monster had been singed with a blast of fire from Genos, but it had shaken it off. Its fur fell away, flesh blistering and oozing. The other one was bleeding heavily from various wounds, but similar to its brethren, it ignored the pain in favor of attacking.

She divided her attention in half as she fought off the other three, trying to keep an eye on Genos as he fought. _Their bodies seem to be reinforced with something. Is it a chemical that's numbing their pain? They just keep attacking us! I know that Genos could take them down with one hit, but there's something wrong with these things!_ Noriko felt jaws snap upon her left forearm and her body was shaken roughly. Her swords fell away and she was soon launched into the air. Another dog monster slammed its body against hers, throwing her into the side of a building. The wall crumbled as she pulled herself free of it and she grimaced. _A normal girl would be definitely be dead by now_ , she thought as she rubbed her head. As she forced herself to stand, she saw Genos being bitten yet again. The fat monster had its jaws around his remaining arm and was trying to tear it off.

"Hn. Alright… _now_ I'm mad. You can hurt me. I don't care if I get hurt; I'm durable. When you hurt my boyfriend, I'm afraid I can't let you live. Come on!" Noriko sprinted the distance between her and the dog holding Genos. Her sharp nails scraped across its face, fangs bared as a growl escaped her. Its jaws opened to release the blonde man as she clawed the monster's face. Blood splattered the pavement beneath them as she opened a jagged cut across its snout and forehead.

Genos watched the beast retreat several steps, yelping at the pain. Somehow, her nails had made just enough damage to make it finally take notice of its injuries. He saw her turn toward the larger monster and his body started to shake violently. She had not seen the worst of the damage that he had taken, but he could feel it. He was struggling to move. The larger monster had shaken him and torn into his back in a way that had severely damaged something important. The thought of her suffering the same fate made him both angry and fearful; there was no way that she could survive what he went through. "Noriko, you must leave! I can handle them, but I want you to get safety! Call Master Saitama as soon as you are somewhere safe!"

She hear a loud thud behind her as he fell to his knees, fear instantly filling her. "I-I'm not going to just leave you here by yourself, you idiot! Did you really think I'd do that?!" Noriko turned to him, ears back and listening for movement as she met his gaze. There were sparks coming from his empty arm socket and from his back. She took his face in her hands, ignoring the cracked surface, and leaned down to kiss him. When she pulled away, her eyes caught movement behind the man.

The largest dog monster had circled around them and was intent on targeting Genos. He was still looking up at her, not certain if he should be angry or proud of her. The catgirl saw the dog monster pull back a clawed hand and she moved around the cyborg as fast as she could. Her body took the hit full force. The claws raked her side, slicing open her pale skin and the shirt covering it. The impact of the blow sent her falling to the ground. Before she could get back up, the clawed hands were grabbing her. Around them, the other dog monsters cheered. Panic rushed through her as Noriko's midsection was kicked hard, sending her body flying backwards and skidding over the rough concrete.

Tears blurred her vision as she saw the monster turn its attention back to Genos. "Ngh! D-don't touch him! Look at me! Look over here at me! D-didn't you say you wanted to eat my bones?! Don't look at _him_ ; look at _me_!" she shouted, desperate to protect her boyfriend.

The two scrawny monsters looked her way and sneered. "We kill killing machine! Make killing machine stop moving!"

"We eat girl cat bones after killing machine stops moving!"

"No! No, no, no! Kill _me_ first! I'm the bigger threat! I'm a cat!" she pleaded. To her horror the largest monster was approaching Genos and pulling back their fist. "No!"

It paused and turned toward her. All of the other monsters followed suit, staring in her direction. "All our lives, we lived in the wilderness. Cast aside like trash by society for being born wild. With this new brain power, we can do _anything_! We can take over cities for other wild dogs! And you think we're going to let _you_ stop us?" The leader stalked toward her as the two scrawny ones flanked Genos to ensure her was trapped. The dog monster's eyes were locked on Noriko's as it approached her. "They saw us and started to scream and run. The last thing you want to do is run in front of a dog. We can't be blamed for what we did; it's our natural instinct. But _you_. They called you here to fight against us; a cat against five dogs. How _preposterous_."

"I say we finish her before the machine," the muscular monster spoke up. "If he sees her die, his will to fight might leave him. Tear open her throat and make him watch."

"I want to eat her," the fat one chimed in, licking its lips.

"No. We're better than that. We're not just wild dogs anymore." The monster tilted his head and he leaned down toward her. "You clearly love that machine. I don't know why a girl cat would choose a machine for their mate, but you must be foolish if you think that your pleading will save him. My pack will tear you apart first and then him before we move on and take over this city."

Her eyes widened as he drew back his right hand, claws gleaming. She looked past him at Genos. The cyborg was watching helplessly, body unable to move from the damage he had taken. _I'm sorry that I can't protect you. I can't protect anyone, can I? I tried to protect Koneko from Kenta when he wanted to beat her…but I couldn't. I tried to protect Genos from these monsters. I'm still trying. But…there's no winning this. They're too strong. And Saitama…I don't even have time to call for him. I don't know if he would even reach us in time. Reach Genos in time._ The girl closed her eyes as the monster's large hand slammed into the left side of her face. Claws raked her cheek, though they did so lightly, and her head was forced to the side. Consciousness was fleeting as she saw the monster move closer. _This is it. I'm going to be mauled and…Genos…_ Tears trailed down her cheeks, stinging her wounds.

"I'm going to punish all of you bad little dogs for hurting such a beautiful man~"

Noriko struggled to open her eyes and saw a tall, muscular man looming over Genos. He grabbed both of the scrawny dogs by the scruff of their necks and bashed their heads together effortlessly, stunning them. When he looked her way, he sneered briefly. _Who…is that? Is he wearing mascara?_ She blinked and suddenly found a blurry shape above her. The dog monster was now charging at the tall newcomer. "Ngh! Wh-who…?"

The shape glanced over their shoulder at the tall man as he hurled the largest monster over his head and into the side of a three-story building. "This seems like as good a time as any," a male voice muttered.

Arms carefully lifted the catgirl, putting her over someone's shoulder. Blood was running down the side of her face and soaking her shirt where her abdomen had been injured. "N-no! Put me down! I…I can't leave him!" Her gaze went to Genos and saw him lying on his side, facing away from her. His back had been torn open, sparks flying from it and wires shredded. She watched him for as long as she could as the man carrying her rushed away from the scene. When he was no longer within sight, her eyes traveled downward and saw her swords strapped to the waist of the man who held her. "…Sonic…?"

 **Shift P.O.V**

"That looks pretty bad. Genos, are you okay?" Saitama tilted his head, staring down at his friend and trying to ignore the awkwardness of the situation. He had seen the news coverage of the fight when he returned from the market and rushed to City K as soon as he could, heart racing with worry for his friends.

The cyborg was being held up by the S Class hero that had come to his rescue, still unable to move on his own. It was quite embarrassing. Almost as embarrassing as needing to be rescued and losing track of where his girlfriend went. "I am fine. Where is Noriko?"

"Poor Genos! Look at what those beasts did to your face!" his savior exclaimed.

"I haven't seen Nya-chan since I left you guys in City Z."

"Oh, that cat-eared hussy? I'm sure Sonic snatched her up as soon as we got here," Puri Puri Prisoner said. "He was waiting for a chance to escape so he could see her. I told him that he could do a lot better, but he's in such denial~"

"Master Saitama, you must find them! Noriko-!"

"Calm down, Genos. We need to get you help first. We took out all of the monsters so the top priority now is getting you repaired. Besides, if she's with Sonic, Nya-chan is probably fine."

"You do not understand! If he is alone with her, I know that he will-!"

"Honestly, if she's with Sonic, we at least know she's safe. He has a crush on her; he won't let anything happen to her. So where do we need to take you to get you fixed up? Do you want me to carry you?"

"Do you know how much I went through to be here? I'm carrying this delicious-"

Genos quickly cut off the other S Class hero. "Master Saitama, please carry me. The sooner I am repaired, the sooner we can search for Noriko."


	31. Chapter 31

Her eyes opened slightly, but slid closed again as they filled with tears. The memories of the fight flooded back to her and Noriko bit her bottom lip to keep it from trembling. _Genos. Is he alright? Did that man help him? I…don't even care about myself right now. I can't feel my arms. I can't feel the pain from my wounds. I don't care. I need to know that Genos is safe._ She let her eyes open again, this time determined to take stock of her surroundings. If she at least knew where she had ended up, she could find a way to get back to him.

A pair of grey eyes met her green ones and the girl flinched. Sonic was sitting in a chair in front of her, the chair turned backwards and his arms crossed on the back of it as he watched her. "You look surprised to see me. Didn't you say my name before you passed out?"

Realizing that her body was in a standing position, her arms locked over her head, she started to squirm. Things only got worse when she took notice of her lack of a shirt or pants. _Okay…this is pretty bad._ Her head tilted back and saw that her wrists were locked in padded cuffs, attached to a chain and suspended from a rafter of some sort. Another look down showed that her wounds had been cleaned and bandaged. _Okay…maybe not as bad. If he took care of my wounds, that probably means I won't die. But he does not look happy._

"Do you know where I've been for the past week?" His eyes narrowed and he scowled. "Did you even _notice_ that I was _missing_?" The man's voice held anger and a tinge of disappointment. He knew that her attention mainly lied with Genos. It made his blood boil.

"I-I did notice." Her gaze had fallen to the floor and now lifted back to him. He was wearing a shirt with bold black stripes across it and matching pants. The shirt seemed to be slightly too big, the neckline loose and affording her a view of his neck and collarbone. Realizing that she was staring, she shook her head and looked away. "You were in jail?"

"I was thrown in jail because of _you_. How does that make you feel? Your boyfriend came after me while I was running errands. I didn't even do anything to draw his attention; he was _looking_ for me." Sonic leaned forward a little more, seeing her wince. "Do you know what his reason was for taking me to jail? He said that I killed everyone on that mountain. We both know that's a lie; you helped me. So here's my question for you, Noriko. How did he know about the mountain? How did he know I was involved?"

Noriko bowed her head, refusing to look at him. "…Sonic, I'm sorry…"

The chair creaked as he stood. "Do you know what the funniest part is? I know the _real_ reason for why I was put in jail. It had nothing to do with me killing half of those people. He put me in jail because I got close to you." He approached the girl and stood in front of her.

"I can't help what other people decide to do," she stated, glaring at him through her long purple hair. "So? What do you want from me? What do I need to do to get you to let me go?"

"Oh. You think I'm going to let you go? I finally have you where I want you. Although, I haven't decided what I want to do yet. I'm sure that if I kill you, I won't have to worry about him getting jealous again." He smirked, but he knew that killing her was not an option. Few individuals were capable of grabbing and holding his attention for as long as she had. "What made you decide to tell him about the mountain? I thought you were afraid of making him hate you," the man taunted.

She growled quietly when he gripped her chin and forced her to look directly at him. Her tail twitched in anger, tears of frustration replacing those of despair. "I got tired of being afraid," the girl snarled. "You know…he's going to come for me. And when he does, you'll be back in jail. I thought you were smarter than this. Did you not think about what might happen if you took me from him?"

"You seem to be forgetting that he could barely move when I picked you up. How long do you think it will take for him to be repaired? Maybe if he wasn't a cyborg, that monster wouldn't have incapacitated him so easily."

"He would be _dead_ if he wasn't a cyborg! And if he can't come, Saitama will! Do you really want to be buried in a building again? If you let me go now-!"

"I don't think he cares that I have you. He's probably preoccupied with your precious boyfriend." An evil grin took form on Sonic's face. "Tell me something. What is it about him that you like so much?"

"I don't have to explain myself to you!"

"That's true. Fine. If you won't answer the question, I'll just point out what makes me better than him. How does that sound?"

Her feline ears drew back and she closed her eyes. _Why is he doing this? What does he hope to accomplish? He can't keep me here forever. He knows that, right? Eventually, Genos will be repaired. Even if it takes a while, I'm sure that Saitama will come to rescue me. Wait. Is he really listing reasons?_ She tilted her head and opened her eyes again. Sonic was talking, even though she was tuning him out. The girl shifted her legs, trying to ease her discomfort.

"He doesn't have skin," was the final statement. "He's made of metal. How can that be comfortable to get close to? Besides, you can't even leave marks on him, can you? How can you prefer cold metal to warm skin?"

She stared at him vacantly, head still tilted. "He doesn't kill people that don't deserve it…and even when he does, he kills them humanely. Not to mention, I know that he loves me."

Sonic drew closer to the girl. "You think that I would go to so much trouble over someone that meant nothing to me? Don't make me say it."

The corner of her mouth lifted into a smirk of her own. "You're blushing."

"So are you."

"I'm hanging from a ceiling half-naked. It makes sense for me to blush. Can I get dressed at least?" Noriko moved her body away from his as she spoke.

His free hand went behind her neck and trailed down her spine, moving along her tail to the tip. "You want to get dressed so you can try to escape. I'm not stupid. Now that I finally have you, I'm not letting you get away again." He released her tail and her chin. Turning away, he started across the room to a basket on the floor.

His movements drew her attention to the space they were in. It was a big, open area with what seemed to be training equipment taking up most of the space. There was also a bed with a radio near it, a small kitchen sort of area, and a door to what she suspected was the bathroom. _So…is this his apartment? Where did he take me?_ She looked back to Sonic and her face turned bright red.

The man had stripped off his shirt, revealing his toned chest. He saw her looking at him and smirked. Grabbing the change of clothes that he had dug up, he crossed the distance between them and stopped in front of her. "What? See something you like?"

"Sh-shut up!"

"I bet _he_ doesn't look this good without a shirt." He stretched a bit, arching his back and watching her face grow redder. When she finally bowed her head to try to hide it, he snickered. "Just admit it, Noriko."

She shook her head and heard him move to the left, toward a wall. There was a clanking sound and the chain holding her arms up loosened quite a bit. It had been the only thing keeping her upright so she immediately fell to her knees on the hard floor. "Ngh. Damn it." She looked down at her wrists, hoping that the cuffs had simple latches or buckles. They were held closed with small padlocks, requiring a key _._ Each cuff was attached to a shorter length of chain, which then locked to the one hanging from the rafter so she could move her arms independently. _Damn it! Well the cuffs seem like they're leather with some kind of weird padding on the inside. If I bite at it enough, can I rip the edge and then work it open?_ Fingers wove into her hair and forced her head back, her sharp green eyes meeting his stare against their will.

"I don't think you understand the situation you're in. If I wanted to kill you right now, I could. It wouldn't even take much. Just a quick slice across your jugular vein and you would bleed out. Right here." His free hand went to her neck, his index finger tracing over the spot. It sent a shiver through her body that he instantly took notice of. "You don't want to die."

"I-I don't want to die," she agreed. _I want to get back to Genos! I want to know that he's going to be alright! I want to get out of here! Why is he so close and why hasn't he put his shirt on?_ Her gaze wandered down from his neck and her face turned red again.

"My eyes are up here." Sonic smirked once more and looked down at the girl. She was on her knees in front of him, hands cuffed in front of her, wearing just a bra and panties. When he brought her to his hideout, he had been in a slight panic. Before leaving the prison, she had appeared perfectly fine. The reality was that the dog monsters had battered her horribly in the short time between him leaving jail and arriving in City K. He was just glad that she had passed out on the way to his hideout; it made it easier to strip her and take care of her wounds. Only afterwards did he realize that she would want to escape. She would try anything to escape and get back to her precious boyfriend so it had been crucial to restrain her. He just had not anticipated that she would look so tempting this way.

"Just…finish getting dressed, if you don't like me looking," she muttered.

"I think you want to touch me."

"I think it's your imagination."

Sonic gripped her left wrist and pressed her hand against his chest, her touch sending a pleasant rush of warmth through him. "You can keep lying to yourself or you can accept the fact that you do care about me. I know you do. Every time something happens to me, I see you looking to make sure I'm alright. Did you think I didn't notice?"

Noriko's eyes narrowed on him, but her fingertips trailed down over scars and toned muscle. She saw him close his eyes halfway and she frowned. As much as she hated herself for liking it, she did like the way his skin felt. She liked the warmth radiating from it and the hard feel of his muscles. The strange, almost soft, way that his scars felt. Her hand wandered up toward his neck and he grabbed her wrist below the cuff, eyes going wide. "…my mark…" His hold loosened as he seemed to almost grin. Her fingers brushed over the scar left by her bite and it sent a shiver down her body. "Is this what you wanted, Sonic?"

"You think I'll be satisfied with just this?" The man drew her up so she was standing and pulled her tightly against him. "I won't be satisfied until you realize that I'm better than him. You're my captive. I could do whatever I want to you. How does that make you feel?"

"Ngh…" The ninja's body was pressing against her chest wound from the monster's claws, but she chose to say nothing about it. "You…won't hurt me."

"How can you be so sure?"

"B-because I just know." She trembled a little and slipped back to her knees, still trying to fully regain feeling in her limbs. To her relief as well as anxiety, he moved away from her and returned to the chair. He took up his position from earlier; crossing his arms on the chair's back and watching her intently. Noriko slouched, wishing that he would at least leave her alone so she could collect her thoughts.

The two of them stayed this way for a while, staring at each other until the catgirl finally averted her gaze. She nervously fidgeted with the end of her tail in a way that made his heart beat a bit faster. To be honest, he had never intended to bring her to his hideout before that day. The thought had never even crossed his mind; he would have been content with only seeing her in town. He would have liked to take her to the mountain again though. He rather enjoyed their activities in the hot spring. "Are you hungry?"

"…what…?" Noriko glanced over, frowning.

"I'm hungry. Are you?" He saw her nod. "I'll make food."

She saw him get up and her tail moved side to side curiously. _I don't understand. So he escaped prison to get to me, right? Why though? If Genos was the one that put him there, why would he leave that place and go straight to where Genos happened to be? And he brought me to…wherever this place is. Whatever this place is. His apartment? But what does he expect to happen? What does he want to happen?_

Noriko watched him inconspicuously through her long purple hair, seeing him cook a simple meal and then carry two plates over to where she was sitting on the floor. He sat near her, giving her an expectant look until she thanked him for the food. The window showed that the sun was setting, turning the sky an almost crimson color. Looking at it filled her with despair. _It was afternoon when I last saw Genos. Did that tall man get him to safety? It seemed like he came to the fight just to save Genos. I hope Saitama showed up. He would know how to save Genos, right?_

"Stop thinking about him. You're not going to see him again."

"…you don't know that…"

"I already told you. I'm not letting you get away." Her dining companion gave her a stern glare until she returned her attention to the meal he had cooked for her. Satisfied, Sonic leaned back and smirked. "So? How is it?"

"I-it's good. Thank you for making it." When she finished eating, Noriko's head tilted back and she stared up at the rafter in curiosity. The chain linked to her cuffs seemed to wind around a mechanism that would raise or lower her to a certain point. With it lowered, it seemed as if she could move around the space at least a little in each direction. _How much though? I'll have to test it if he leaves. Also…why does he have something like this set up anyway? Who was this intended to hold? Saitama could easily break out of this._

"I'm not raising you up again unless you give me a reason to," he stated when he saw her looking up. He took her dish from her and carried it to the kitchen area with his. "And don't even think about trying to attack me tonight while we sleep. If I even _think_ that you're going to try it, I'll make you spend the night standing up."

"…I wasn't thinking about that…" she replied. Curling up in a ball, she watched him wash the dishes. His back was to her, letting the girl's eyes wander along his frame as he worked. _I hate that he was right. About me caring about him. Why do I? What is it about him that makes me care? I know that I shouldn't. He's a perverted jerk._ Her ears drew back, tail shifting in agitation behind her. _Why does he seem…happy? I don't know how, but it seems like he's happy that I'm here. Why does seeing him happy make me feel…marginally happy?_

Sonic returned and sat in front of her, looking pleased with himself. "You look tired. I bet you want to go to sleep. Too bad I have some questions for you. Now, if you want this to go easily without you being hurt, you'll answer all of my questions."


	32. Chapter 32

Neon Horizon is sleep deprived :/ But appreciates all of your kind words and such. Kind words keep me going.

* * *

Waking up to find his roommates gone was more than a little unsettling. When he remembered what had happened to previous day, it filled him with a sense of loss that in turn filled him with a sense of irritation. He thought that eating might take his mind off of it so he went to the kitchen and started to make breakfast for two. His eyes slid to the small figure curled up next to Noriko's bag, a blanket wrapped securely around them as they slept.

After dropping off Genos, Saitama immediately went in search of Noriko's sister. The child was herding cattle when he found her and was reluctant to leave the job. The old woman that she worked for was reluctant to let Saitama take her, looking at him as if he was a creep. Remembering this, he frowned. _I just feel like she'll be safer here. I can't really explain it. I don't think that Sonic would go after her when he has Nya-chan, but I can't risk it. As long as the kid is free, Nya-chan will keep fighting to get back to us, right?_

He rubbed the back of his head as the food cooked and looked back to the table. The doctor had told him that Genos needed extensive repairs. Worse, that he had watched the coverage of the fight on the news and suspected that the largest dog monster had been told where to hit the cyborg. He seemed to know exactly what area to tear open to do the most damage. _That's scary. Could it be Kenta? But why would he target Genos?_

The more he stared at the spot where Noriko and Genos would normally be, the more empty he found himself feeling. Sure, it had felt kind of like an annoyance when Genos first moved in. The same went for Noriko. Though, with time, they had both grown on him. He shook his head and looked back to the food he was cooking. _It's not like they're dead. They'll be back._

Standing at the stove was beginning to remind him of Noriko and when she would make breakfast for three. One day in particular, when she had stood at the stove in just a thigh-length t-shirt with her dark violet hair pulled up in a haphazard ponytail. She had not noticed, but each time her tail swished or shifted beneath the hem of the shirt, it lifted it just enough to show her bottom. Her bottom covered by tightfitting black panties, with a small hole cut out for her tail to thread through. He was beginning to feel discomfort now and glanced around for a moment before deciding to go to the bathroom for some time alone.

When he stepped out of the bathroom around ten minutes later, he frowned to himself. _This isn't good. I need to just do something. For one, I need to get her back from Sonic. For two, I should probably say something to her. What though? I don't want to mess everything up._

"Saitama-sensei?" Koneko called from her seat on the floor. She was awake now and her long, light purple hair was in wild disarray from sleeping. "When is big sister going to be back? And the creepy blonde. Did he do something to her?"

"Of course not! How can you seriously be suspicious of Genos?" he asked, going to the kitchen. "You don't have to worry about him, kid. He'd never hurt Nya-chan."

 **Shift P.O.V**

Noriko woke to the sound of her chain rattling. Her eyes snapped open and she tried to turn away from her captor. Sonic was sitting on the chair again, near the futon, and was holding the slack of the chain connected to her cuffed wrists. When he saw her looking, he gave it a sharp tug and smirked. She winced at the pain in her arms. "You think you're being cute?" the girl muttered.

"You seem to think so."

Her feline ears drew back and she struggled to sit up, trying to ignore the fact that she was still missing a shirt and pants. The morning air felt cold against her skin, but he seemed unfazed by it. She could feel his stare roaming over her exposed flesh and her face turned pink. "So…how long have you been sitting there, watching me like a creep?"

He tilted his head and leaned in a little closer. "Sleep well?"

A low growl issued from the back of her throat and she bared her fangs. "You do realize…keeping a person locked up will only make them hate you. It's exactly what Kenta did."

"There's a difference between this situation and that one. To start, I'm just waiting for you to accept the fact that you're mine. Also, you never cared about Kenta. You told me that last night, remember?"

Recalling the really bizarre interrogation from the night before, she looked away. "I remember." The corner of her mouth drew up, her long violet hair falling to hide it. "You know…you asked me a lot of questions. And I answered all of them. You asked me so many things about myself. So at this point…you know me pretty well. Wouldn't you say?" She saw his smirk grow. "And I didn't get to ask any questions about you, did I? So? Can I at least ask one?"

"What?" Sonic was watching her closely, anticipating some sort of attack. It would be fairly weak; she was still injured and restrained by the cuffs and chain. Feeling the cold metal of the chain in his hand reassured him of his control over the situation. It also helped him focus, but that focus was quickly slipping. They had slept together, with her curled against his side for warmth and her head resting on his chest. She looked even more tempting now. Her hair was a little wild, falling over her shoulders, back, and part of her chest in purple waves. His eyes moved along her figure. She was still wearing just a pair of panties and a bra, but they did little to hide her from him. He subconsciously licked his lips as certain thoughts ran through his head.

"Hn…do you love me?" the girl finally asked. Noriko looked toward him when she asked this, her bright green eyes focusing on his face as color rushed to it. Though she hated to admit it, he did look cute when he blushed. Guiltily, she realized that she could never see Genos blush. He was physically incapable of blushing.

"I told you-"

"I know what you told me. You told me that you care about me…but how much do you care?" she challenged him.

"Obviously enough to go through all of this."

"Obvious. But is it love or a crush?" There was a hint of anger in her tone as she narrowed her gaze into a glare. _A crush like what Kenta had?_

His grey eyes shifted to the side, more blood rushing to his face. "Love. Alright? Are you satisfied?"

"…for now…" She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and bit her bottom lip as she contemplated all of her options. _I could challenge him to a fight. He would need to let me out of these cuffs for that, right? It would be difficult, but if I could knock him out then I could escape. If I at least knew where he's keeping the key to the padlocks on the cuffs, it would help._ Noriko's train of thought was destroyed when he leaned down and lifted her chin, running his thumb over her lip. She blushed pink at his action. "Wh-what?"

"I'm getting tired of talking."

"Hn…you don't say?" Unfortunately, his close proximity was making her heart race in anticipation. Noriko could not deny that she was attracted to him and it was even harder to deny when he was standing in front of her without a shirt, displaying toned flesh and scars. Her right hand absently rested on the side of his neck for a moment, fingertips tracing over her bite mark before trailing gently down his chest. _I hate you. I…care about you. I don't know how I really feel and it's driving me mad! I can't stand that you make me feel this way! Especially when Genos is…_ A purr issued from her as he stroked a hand down her spine.

He leaned down to her feline ear, warm breath tickling her flesh. "I'm going to show you just how much I care by filling you up and making you scream my name," he hissed.

A shiver ran down her spine at his words, her hand moving lower down his abdomen until it came to the waist of his pants. She half-grinned and gripped the waist, hearing his breath hitch. "Hn…you really know how to make a girl feel loved," she taunted, slipping her hand past the fabric. When her fingers came into contact with warm flesh, she gripped it gently and nuzzled her face against the side of his neck. _I hate to say it, but there is something to be said for skin on skin contact. It's so soft and warm~_ Her eyes half-closed and she stroked along his member a few times, feeling it seem to throb in her grip. When she paused, she felt his body stiffen and she ran her lips over the pulse point in his neck. Her thumb gently rubbed over the head of his cock, the skin there even softer against the pad of her thumb and rubbing a bit of precum over it. "Sonic…did you get this excited, just talking to me? Doesn't that make you feel _weak_?"

His mouth twisted into an evil grin and he pushed her onto her back, straddling her thighs. "You think you can get away with calling me weak? You're lucky I don't want to kill you."

"And why is that?" Noriko winced as he pushed her bra up, the cold air making her exposed skin tingle. _Wait, what is he planning?! He can't be-!_ A sharp moan escaped her lips as he rubbed his thumb over the peak of her breast, her back arching involuntarily. "S-Sonic, wait!" She could feel that he was doing this just to taunt her. Just to try to prove his point that he was better than her boyfriend.

His free hand wedged itself between her legs and started to rub at her slit through her panties. Her head was thrown back as another moan left the girl. "You're trying to act aloof when you're getting this wet already? I can feel it through the fabric. How wet can I get you before you start begging me?"

"Ngh! I-I won't beg!" she tried to snarl. His fingertips closed on her nipple and tugged gently, drawing a loud sound of pleasure from her. _Damn it! He always does this! Why?!_ Her legs parted a little more, giving him better access. She gritted her teeth, trying to withhold more sounds as the friction increased. Noriko closed her eyes, hoping to distract herself, but it only made her focus more on the feeling of his warm hand rubbing along her wet slit with just a thin layer of fabric separating their skin. She swore quietly and heard him snicker. "Sh-shut up!" she snapped, face turning red.

"You look so cute when you're coming undone," he taunted. "So tell me the truth. How does this feel?"

"I-it's good, but…it's not enough." Her voice was just above a whisper, the words full of shame as she turned her head to the side.

"So tell me what you want. If you're lucky, I might give it to you." Sonic leaned back to draw her panties down and off of her, tossing them aside. She looked enticing in them, but seeing her without them was driving him toward his breaking point. The catgirl was sprawled under him, on his own bed, basically naked with her wrists still cuffed in front of her. The bright green eyes that shifted to look at him were glazed over with lust and she was starting to pant already.

She could see it in his eyes that he was having trouble staying composed. It was amusing to watch his reactions, but when he started to tease her back it really wore on her nerves. The chain on her cuffs rattled as she moved her arms around his neck. "You…just need to say it."

"If I say something like that, then I expect you to say it, too."

"You know how you feel. You know _exactly_ how you feel, don't you? But…I don't know exactly how I feel," she stated. The girl held her position as he shifted, slipping his pants off. _I hate you! I like you! I care about you! But why?! What is this stupid connection between us and why do I keep giving in like this? Am I really this weak? But his skin feels so warm and good against mine._ She felt the head of his cock slip between her lower lips with ease before sliding along her. Gritting her teeth again, she refused to make any sounds and give him the satisfaction.

"You really want me to say it? Fine. But you're going to say it back. I don't care what you think. I know what's real." He felt her arms slip over his head, the cold chain going with them, and her right hand went to his chest. She tilted her head as she stared up at him, fingertips grazing over scars and hard muscle as if she was mapping every inch of him. Sonic smirked at the girl's blush, leaning down so his lips brushed over her feline ear. "I love you." With those words, he drove his hips into hers as hard as he could.

She felt him enter her, sliding in all the way in one quick motion. When he drew back, she could feel his length growing slick with her juices. His teeth nipped at her ear, a silent reminder of their deal. "Ngh! I…love you too…Sonic. Aaaah~" The moan was loud, echoing throughout the hideout as he slammed back into her, the head of his member striking against a point within her that flooded her mind with pleasure. His hands were on her hips, holding tightly as he fell into a quick rhythm that made her nearly scream.

"You don't know what it does to me to hear you say that," he taunted with a grin. "How does that feel? It's warmer than metal, isn't it?"

"Sh-shut up!" Her eyes closed as she thrust her hips up to meet his, her long violet hair becoming even more tangled as she shifted on the futon beneath him. She lifted her arms around his neck, nails sinking into his upper back shallowly. He tensed for a moment, a pleasant shiver running along his spine, before he put more of his weight on her. The girl's legs were pulled up around his waist as he moved to his knees and drove even deeper into her warm entrance. "S-Sonic~"

"Tell me how it feels," the man growled.

"N-no! That…that's embarrassing!" Noriko's nails dragged over his back as he shifted them. The chain rattled as he moved onto his back with her straddling his waist, his cock still buried deep inside of her. Looking down at him, panting, she was briefly reminded of when she was in such a position with Genos. The circumstances had been different and the position itself had been a little different as well, but it was similar. She bowed her head as he held her hips again, thrusting his member up and into her. It slammed deeper into the girl than before, hitting that pleasurable spot within her while more moans slipped past her lips. Her head went back, spine arching as her chest bounced.

Sonic watched her expression change from melancholy to ecstasy, felt her muscles clench down on his cock as she reached her climax. One hand wandered up her side to her right breast, pinching and rubbing her nipple. She started to grind down against him, her warm fingertips splayed out on his chest as she rode his member. Her right hand pressed down upon the area just over his heart and he knew that she could feel his pulse racing. True, he was excited and for more than one reason. Though the biggest and best thing was that she was here now, alone with him, and he had time. He could do as he pleased without excuses. Moving so both hands gripped her hips, he pulled her down hard against him as his climax hit. Spurts of hot seed filled her and she shivered in his hold. When he was done, he threaded his fingers into her hair and brought her lips to his.


	33. Chapter 33

Noriko tried to stay angry. She tried to stay furious with her current situation. Though the more she thought about it, the more she realized how different this was from her time with Kenta. Two days had passed since her arrival and little by little, she managed to gain Sonic's trust enough to have her cuffs taken off during the day. He left only once and it was on her third day that he disappeared.

She was sitting on the futon, glaring down at the cuff around her right wrist. It was padlocked and attached to the chain from the rafter, ensuring that she was unable to reach the exit. The first thing she did when he left was search for a tool that she could use to either pick the lock or cut open the leather cuff. "…nothing…" she muttered with another glance around. _He even moved the weapons farther away so I can't get to them._ The girl curled up in a ball on the futon, glaring at the door. She was wearing one of his shirts and nothing else; her bra and panties were in the wash. _He didn't even leave me pants. And this shirt smells like him._ Her ears drew back in guilt at the thought that Genos only smelled like metal. Even if he did give her one of his shirts to wear, there would be no residual body heat or scent.

The window showed that the sun was low so she estimated it to be evening. She reached to the small radio beside the futon and turned it on, hoping to hear something interesting to at least kill time until his return.

"More and more dog monsters have been sighted in various cities! If you see one, do not approach them! They are to be considered violent and unpredictable!"

Turning the radio off, she sighed. _Alright. Now what? I can't train very easily with this cuff on my arm._ Her stomach growled and she wandered into the kitchen. As she looked through the cupboards and fridge, she found her thoughts roaming to Saitama and Genos. _I still don't know if Genos will be alright. Saitama took him to be repaired, right? He had to have. He wouldn't just let him stay that way. Is he still checking in on Koneko? What's going to happen if she finds out what happened to me? Can he stop her if she rampages again?_

"Why are you rummaging through my kitchen?"

The fur on her tail bristled in surprise as she heard Sonic's voice from right behind her. Looking over her shoulder at him, she tried to appear calm. "Just…hungry." She turned toward him and her gaze dropped to the bags he carried. One was clearly groceries, but the other was a plain paper bag. "So where did you go?"

He smirked and looked her up and down. "As good as that shirt looks on you, I want it back. So I got you some stuff to wear. You know, since you won't stop complaining about needing clothes." He lifted the paper bag and offered it to her.

"Uh…thanks." Noriko truly was surprised that he would be so considerate, given their current situation. _He has been in a better mood since the other day. I still wish he would stop grinning though. No matter how many times I see it, it still creeps me out a little._

"I want fried rice for dinner."

"Hn. Yeah, that sounds good. Um…I'll just take a quick bath and change and then I'll get that started." She held out her right arm, tilting her head. "Can you take off the cuff since you're back?"

Sonic gripped the chain and tugged her body toward his. "I could, but you look so good in chains," he taunted. Despite this, he knew that she needed to be freed if she was going to do anything. He reached into his pocket and drew forth a small key to unlock the cuff's padlock. "Make it quick."

 **Shift P.O.V**

When he heard a phone ring, his first thought was that it was Noriko's. Digging through her bag, he remembered that she had been carrying it the day that Sonic took her. Saitama tilted his head, frowning. _Okay, so if it's not her phone then…?_ He turned toward the bookshelf, where the rat monster's phone sat on the top shelf.

"What is that?" Koneko looked up from the manga she was reading and her ears went back in irritation. "Saitama-sensei, you should answer your phone. That ringtone is annoying."

"Uh…yeah. I'll get it." He picked up the phone and answered the call, not quite sure what to expect. "Hello?"

"…who is this…?" a male voice hesitantly asked.

"This is Saitama. Who's this?"

"Saitama? That one hero? Seriously?" The other voice was low and a bit raspy.

"Yeah, this is really Saitama. So who is this? Another rat monster?"

"Where's Hinyako?"

The hero saw Koneko watching him curiously. He pointed at the television and then to the bag of chips on the table. She nodded and opened the bag, her eyes shifting to the television screen. Satisfied that she was occupied with the snacks and anime, Saitama walked into the bathroom and locked the door. "Is this Kenta?"

There was a pause. In the background, an anime theme was playing. "This is Yamanaka Kenta. Where is Hinyako? I want to talk to her."

Anger surged through him as he used every ounce of control to not crush the phone in his hand. _That bastard!_ Sitting on the toilet lid, Saitama stared at the closed door and listened for any signs of Koneko coming close. She seemed content with her anime and snacks. "Why do you want to talk to her? She doesn't want to talk to you."

"How would you know what she wants? It's not like she's dating _you_ ; she's dating the cyborg, isn't she?" Kenta snorted. "I bet you're not even on her radar. A girl like her wouldn't give guys like us a second glance."

"You don't even know me. Anyway, she's not home."

"Is she nursing him back to health?"

"Yeah. By the way, how are you alive?"

"Have her call me when she gets home. If she doesn't call me within twenty-four hours, I'll make her regret it."

Saitama was left with the dial tone and hung up after a moment. _Okay, that was weird. Was that really Kenta? I always thought he would sound different._ He left the bathroom, tucking the phone into the pocket of his hooded sweatshirt. He found Koneko still sitting in front of the television, but her attention had shifted. Now she was glaring up at Genos, who was standing in the kitchen. "Oh. Hey, you're back. Now we can…" He looked back to Koneko and frowned. "I mean, let's have a chat outside."

The blonde's eyes were briefly on Saitama before turning to fix upon the small catgirl. She bared her fangs at him and hissed, but made no move to attack. "Koneko. Do you know where Noriko is?"

 _Are you seriously going to antagonize her right now? You know how she feels about you and you're going to do this?_ Saitama tried to conspicuously signal to Genos that he should stop by waving his arms frantically. He went completely ignored.

"Saitama-sensei said she was with _you_." The child stood now and walked over to Genos, crossing her arms. "She didn't come back with you. Where's my big sister, creepy cyborg?"

"Hey! Just wait a second-!" Saitama started.

"Hn. Right. Genos-senpai. Tell me where my sister is! Tell me or I'll beat you up!" the girl demanded, mistaking Saitama's alarm for wanting her to address Genos the way he taught her. She yelped when the cyborg picked her up by the back of her sweater and put her over his shoulder. "Put me down, you blonde creep! I'll tear you apart limb from limb! Don't make me-!"

"I need you to help me find Noriko," he stated firmly. "Are you going to help me or should I leave you here while Master Saitama and I search for her?"

Koneko huffed and slammed a fist against his back, but stopped threatening him. "Tell me what happened. What _really_ happened. Saitama-sensei lied to me."

"I didn't want you to freak out like you did the last time you got separated from her!" he argued, following Genos outside. _Why does he think she'll be able to find Nya-chan anyway? Does he know something I don't?_ Saitama pushed his hands into his pockets as Koneko was set down so she stood in front of the two. "So what now? Do we put a leash on her and follow her like a scent hound or something?"

"When I was being repaired, the doctor told me that he conducted some research on Noriko. He told me some things that I am not ready to discuss in front of Koneko, but I will tell you later. For now, I just know that Koneko will be able to find her 'sister'."

She grimaced and her ears twitched as she sniffed at the air. "I'm not a dog, sensei. And anyway, I don't know how you think I'll be able to find her. It took me a long time to try to track big sister down last time and I didn't even get to see her until you brought me to her!" A tilt of her head indicated that she seemed to have picked something up. Tail swaying back and forth, she started to walk.

 _How is she going to know where Nya-chan is? What's Genos keeping from us?_ He looked over at his friend and saw the determined expression on his face. "So you're going to keep secrets from us after getting mad about us keeping secrets?" he muttered.

"Master Saitama, I cannot tell you what I learned until we find Noriko. I also want to keep this information from Koneko for the moment. If she knows the truth, I am certain that she will overreact."

The child was walking ahead of them, seeming to be following a trail almost. "I don't get it. I have this weird feeling…it's like a thread tugging at my brain. This is weird." She looked over her shoulder at Saitama and Genos. Though she would never admit it, she was gradually starting to hate the cyborg less and less. Saitama spoke highly of him in front of her and he did seem to show her respect, for whatever reason. He never talked down to her, like most humans did. "Genos-senpai, I want you to carry me."

"What? Wait, really? Genos?"

"Alright." The blonde lifted her onto his back without hesitation and the girl grinned triumphantly. "Which way should we go, Koneko?"

"Hn…keep going forward for five blocks, then a left. I kind of feel it going left. Definitely not right. Right feels wrong."

 **Shift P.O.V**

Noriko sat beside the window, eating in silence across from Sonic. She was still unsure of what to think about him. The past two days had been much different from her time with her friends or even her time with Kenta. _There was that weird interrogation the other day where he just asked me a bunch of questions about myself. And then…the past two days we've been…_ Her cheeks turned pink, thinking about their intimate moments. _Every time, he says he loves me. And every time, I say it back, but…I don't know how I really feel. I really can't be sure how I feel about him. I do care. I know I do. But is it love? I love Genos. I know that I love Genos._

The ninja smirked when he saw her blushing. "What? Are you thinking about dessert already?" he teased.

"Sh-shut up."

He looked her up and down before setting his plate aside. "You look good in black."

"I said shut up," she muttered. She had put on a rather short black dress that flared at the hips and was tight in the chest, the sleeves short and the neckline low. _It's embarrassing is what it is. I can't imagine wearing something like this in front of Saitama or Genos. Saitama would make a big deal of it like when I put my hair in a ponytail._ Noriko grimaced and her tail flicked in agitation. "So…you never told me why I couldn't just wear what I was wearing when you-"

"They were destroyed."

"What? Why?"

"Don't sound so suspicious. It's not like I tore them off of you." His smirk returned. "Not that the thought didn't cross my mind. I had to cut them off of you when I brought you here. There was so much blood and I didn't know if you broke any bones so I didn't want to try to take the clothes off of you normally."

Setting her plate aside, on top of his, she raised an eyebrow. "Hn. You don't say." A cruel smirk began to grow on her face and she tilted her head. "Hey, Sonic? You still love me?" She saw his mouth twist into a scowl.

"Shut up." He stood and carried their plates to the kitchen, stalling at the sink for a moment. A look toward her showed that Noriko was tugging at her hemline in an attempt to cover more skin. It might have been cute if she had not been purposefully agitating him moments before. "What are you trying to hide? It's not like I haven't seen everything."

She growled lowly and stood as well, her arms crossing over her chest. _Why is he messing with me? I already want to escape. He should know that teasing me like that is only going to make me more annoyed with him._ Her tail started to twitch back and forth as she turned toward the window. The sun was setting again, marking her third day with Sonic. _I need to get out. I need to find Genos or at least Saitama. Not to mention…what if that phone finally rings? What would I do if it did?_ The girl was not surprised when she felt an arm wrap around her from behind, warm breath on the side of her neck and a hand absently squeezing the left side of her chest. Her heart skipped a beat when lips brushed over her skin lightly. "…Sonic…"

"You're not getting away from me. What's so special about him anyway? Haven't I showed you that I'm better than him?"

"I can't just…stop thinking about him. And you need to accept that."

"I don't need to accept anything. You're already forgetting who's in control here, aren't you? Just because I let you be on top a few times, you think that you have some power over me?" Sonic taunted. "You're forgetting that I know you now. I know everything about you; all of your strengths, your weaknesses. I know how to make you do what I want. But I don't want it to come to that. It shouldn't need to get to that point."

Noriko's body tensed in his hold as a hand went to her neck. Fingertips trailed down her neck, over her collarbone and down her chest, over her hip, and finally rested between her legs. She shivered and lifted a hand, lightly tracing her nails over the side of his face. "What are you thinking?"

He grinned evilly behind her. "I'm thinking about how shocked Saitama and your precious boyfriend would be if they knew that you screamed my name last night. What do you think, Noriko? Do you think they would be surprised?"

"If you tell them…I'll make you wish you were never born."


	34. Chapter 34

_Well this is embarrassing._ Noriko blinked in alarm at the figure standing in the doorway, her face turning red. Sonic had gone, leaving her cuffed with her arms above her head. When she heard a knock at the door, she was confused and called out to whoever it was. This was followed shortly by a creaking sound and then a crash as the door was pulled off its hinges. "Uh…S-Saitama?"

He stared back at her, expressionless for a moment as he simply took in the girl's current condition. "Nya-chan? You okay?"

"Er…yeah. I mean…he didn't hurt me. I got hurt in the fight with the monsters but…he kind of took care of the wounds for me," she replied. Remembering the short dress that she was wearing, she started to blush. "How did you find me?"

The hero started toward her, hands tucked into his pockets. "Genos had Koneko track you. Don't ask me how that works. So, what's with the dress? Did he put that on you?"

"No…ah…I picked it out from a bag of clothes," she admitted. "C-can you help me out of here? I'm losing feeling in my arms."

He stopped right in front of her and rubbed the back of his neck. "You know, that actually looks pretty cute on you. So where's Sonic?" The man reached up to her right cuff and effortlessly tore it open before moving to the left cuff.

"He said something about a job. Um…you said Genos and Koneko were with you?" Noriko rubbed her wrists once they were free and searched around for her swords.

"Huh? Yeah, Genos finally came back today and said that she could track you. She brought us to the building, but I made her wait outside with Genos just in case something happened." Saitama watched her sift through some weapons until she located her swords. When she found them, he took off his sweatshirt and tossed it to her. "It's kind of cold out so…"

"Oh. Thanks." Noriko pulled it on over her dress and frowned. _Where are my shoes? Did Sonic hide them in case I got out of the cuffs?_ Releasing a sigh of frustration, she glanced to her friend. "I can't find my shoes."

"Okay, get on my back."

She obeyed, glad for that small amount of dignity. _At least he didn't just put me over his shoulder. Everyone's been doing that lately._ They moved through the building and it was eerily silent, making her wonder if perhaps Sonic was the only person living there. "So Genos is alright?" she asked as they traveled down a dark corridor.

"Yeah, he's alright now."

The girl felt something in the front pocket of the sweatshirt pressing against her stomach and raised an eyebrow. "Uh…do you want your phone?"

"Oh, that's not mine. You remember the phone you took from the rat monster?"

"Why is it in your pocket, Saitama?"

"Kenta called earlier. He said he wanted to talk to you and I told him you weren't home. I guess he wants you to call him."

Noriko began to shake with a combination of fear and anger. "A-are you serious?"

"Yeah. I don't know what he wants, but when we get home you should call him. Genos can try to trace the call and we can go find that creep." He felt her arms go around the front of his neck as they went down a flight of stairs and it made him frown. Certain thoughts and feelings came rushing to him. Thoughts and feelings that he was not ready to face just yet.

When they were out of the building, Noriko was immediately met with Koneko's grinning face. "Big sister! Hnhnhn~ What are you wearing?! And where have you been? You had me and sensei worried sick!"

"Master Saitama, I can carry her from here," Genos stated, holding out his arms.

"Nah, I can handle it. Why don't you carry Koneko? We can get back to the apartment faster this way."

To Noriko's surprise, the younger catgirl eagerly climbed onto the cyborg's back. _When did they start to get along? Not that I'm complaining._ She held on tightly to Saitama when he began to run, her cheek pressing against the back of his shoulder. _He's warm like Sonic. I can feel it through his shirt._ This thought made her want to frown and smile at the same time. _Sonic. I wonder what he'll do when he finds me gone._

Things moved quickly once they reached the apartment. Noriko sat with Koneko, watching anime until the child dozed off. She moved out to the balcony once she was certain that the girl was asleep. Settling on the cold floor, she stared at the cellphone that had belonged to the rat monster. _Kenta called. And Saitama told me that he said I'd regret it if I don't call him within twenty-four hours. What does he want? He keeps sending those rat monsters after me, to bring me to him dead or alive. Why though?_

"Noriko."

She looked up to find Genos standing in the doorway, his gold irises glowing in the darkness. "Um…do you want to-?"

"Yes. Can you move forward a little?" He wedged himself between her and the hard barrier around the balcony, his arms wrapping around her. "I missed you a lot, Noriko. I worried that that pervert might touch you or do worse. Are you alright?"

"I-I'm fine, Genos." She leaned back against his chest, closing her eyes as she took a deep breath. "Did Saitama tell you that Kenta called?"

"He told me. I believe I know why he is trying to find you. Your DNA was the perfect base for the creation of a cat/human hybrid. Before Master Saitama and I destroyed the shed, I took some discs and memory drives so that I could analyze them later. Doctor Kuseno looked at them while I was being repaired and discovered some interesting facts." His arms tightened around her protectively. "Some of things that he found may alarm you."

Noriko gripped the phone tighter as she exhaled, trying to maintain a sense of calm. Feeling his arms around her did make her feel safer. "A-alright. What did he learn?"

The blonde frowned. He knew that she would want to know the truth. He knew that it would be for the best if she knew. Despite this, he worried how she might react. "Kenta attempted to fuse the DNA of other girls with other animals before he settled on feline genes. None of them survived. Before you, he attempted to fuse the feline DNA with two other girls and it was a failure. They also perished. Yours was the only DNA to successfully fuse with a feline's."

"That's…strange. Why? What's so special about my DNA?"

"Doctor Kuseno suspects that your bloodline carried a special gene that allowed your body to take on the characteristics of the animal whose genes you fused with. Kenta left notes on one of the discs detailing the creation of Koneko as well, but I do not know if you want to hear what we discovered there."

She turned her head to the side and tilted it back so she could look at him. The expression he wore was one of worry. "What did you find out, Genos?"

"Koneko was created from your DNA in a way similar to artificial insemination. A sample was taken from you at some point and Kenta used it with a sample from a male to create her. Instead of your 'sister', Koneko is actually more like your daughter. She was incubated and aged rapidly through a certain scientific process."

"…my…daughter…?" Her heart raced at the thought. _So the kid sleeping in the next room. The kid that mauled Kenta and tore apart hundreds of men. That's my daughter. That's my DNA and…some random guy's, right? If I'm her mother, who did he use as the father?_ Shaking her head, she faced forward again. "I guess I should have seen that coming."

"She does look very much like a younger version of you."

"Yeah. I don't know how I didn't notice that. So did the notes say _why_ she was created?"

"When Kenta fused your genes with a feline's, he thought that the animal DNA would keep you from aging. He decided to attempt to create a version of you that would stay the same age for a longer a period of time when you began to mature. If it helps, Doctor Kuseno read in the data that your durability and strength do not come from the feline genes. It seems to be something that you were born with."

The girl slouched a little. "Genos…I know you think that will cheer me up, but I'm sort of dealing with a lot at once now."

"You want to discover the identity of Koneko's father?"

"No. I don't…I mean, I really don't care about that. It's not like, knowing who he is will make him, Koneko, and me into a family. And I don't think I want Koneko to know the truth." She fidgeted with the phone now, her stomach twisting into nervous knots. _I need to make the call, don't I? What will I say? What will he say?_ She jolted and nearly dropped it when it began to ring.

Genos took it from her and snapped it open. "Noriko does not want to speak with you."

"If she doesn't talk to me, I'm going to make things really unpleasant for all of you. Even that assassin that she likes. Do you think I don't know about that?" The voice was low and held pure malice in every word that it spoke. "Give her the phone or put it on speaker. Because I honestly don't care if you hear what I say to her."

"…just do it…" she muttered. When it was on speaker, she glared down at the phone in her boyfriend's hand. "What do you want, you creep?"

There was a low chuckle in response. "Now is that any way to speak to someone who helped you unlock your true potential? It's so nice to hear your voice again, Hinyako. Or is it _Noriko_ now? Who exactly gave you the authority to rename yourself?"

"Who do you think you are?! I will not tolerate you speaking to her that way!"

"Genos…his words mean nothing to me." Her tail was twitching in agitation, brushing against the cyborg's chest behind her. "Kenta. What business do you have calling me?" she demanded.

"You're a _hero_ now, aren't you? They call you Samurai Catgirl. Who do you owe that fame to though? You wouldn't even be a catgirl if it weren't for me." There was unmistakable pride in Kenta's voice that made her shiver with disgust. "Don't you think you _owe_ me?"

"Noriko's fame has nothing to do with you," Genos argued. "Just what do you expect to gain from this? She will not go back to you. I can assure you of that."

"What I want…no. What I _need_ is for Hinyako to come to me. I require a sample of her DNA and I want to see how she's developed since she _left me for dead_."

"I'm not-!"

"If you think that she will obey your wishes, you are sorely mistaken. Now listen to me. I know what you did to Noriko and Koneko. I will find you and I will annihilate you. Permanently. So you can never bother them again. People like you do not deserve to live." Genos hung up before Kenta could reply and carried her into the apartment.

"I-I can walk, Genos!"

"He's just being clingy because you guys were separated for a few days," Saitama commented, sitting on his futon. "So I heard that you talked to that creep. What'd he want?"

Noriko settled on the floor nearby, glancing over at Koneko. "Hn…he wanted me to go to him. Obviously, I won't." She bit her thumbnail anxiously as Genos put the cellphone on the bookshelf again. Her eyes went back to the younger catgirl, recalling what Genos had said. _He doesn't lie. So she's really my daughter?_ Disgust made her stomach turn, but it was soon overshadowed by rage. _Koneko's my daughter. Kenta was going to use her the way he used me to indulge in his sick fantasies. He beat her and terrified her. My daughter._

"You know, I always imagined that Kenta would sound different. Like that rat monster. He was fat, wasn't he?" Saitama saw the look of anxiety on her face and frowned. "You okay?"

She pointed at Koneko with a hand that trembled. "That's…my daughter."

"Wait. What? Really? Is that what you were keeping a secret, Genos?"

"Yes. Master Saitama, Koneko is technically Noriko's daughter."

He looked at the smaller catgirl and it seemed to slowly sink in. "That's your _daughter_? Your two or three year old daughter. That looks twelve or thirteen. _That's_ your daughter? And who's her dad?"

"We do not know who her father is."

"Huh. That's…weird. I guess maybe I should have suspected it though; she has Noriko's face if she was younger. So now what do we do?"

"The biggest problem is that we don't know what Kenta looks like anymore. He said that I left him for dead so…I guess he was still sort of alive when I escaped. Someone had to have gone down there after I left and removed his brain…preserved it somehow…transferred it into a different vessel. Because what I heard on the phone just now is different from how he sounded the last time I heard him speak. I only know that it was him because of the way he spoke and how he called me Hinyako."

Saitama yawned, clearly ready to get some sleep after the bizarre day that he had. "So are you going to tell the kid or keep it a secret?"

"…I can't tell her…" Noriko curled up on her side on the floor, facing the wall. _I can't tell her the truth. I also can't let her know that Kenta called. I can't let her know what's happening. The best thing for Koneko now would be to stay with that rancher she's been working for. Maybe I can pay that old woman to look after her and let her stay at the ranch all the time. I can't let her sleep outside anymore. It made me worry before and now I know for sure that I can't let her do that._ Tears filled her eyes so she closed them, her body shaking as she remembered how she felt only months before. When she first came to City Z, searching for Loli Catgirl so she could kill her. _I…was ready to kill my own daughter. I might have killed her and never known the truth._

 **Shift P.O.V**

It almost felt like a normal morning. He woke to the sound of Noriko digging around in her bag for clean clothes and looked over in time to accidentally lock gazes with her. "What're you doing, Nya-chan?"

She stared back at him, tail twitching. Genos was missing, presumably out running errands or off fighting a monster. "Hn…I want to get out of this outfit and then I'm going to make breakfast. Any requests?"

Saitama sat up and stretched a little, yawning. "Anything sounds good. It's been a while since I had something you made." He turned his head while she changed into jeans and a t-shirt, observing from the corner of his eye. It was partially out of curiosity and partially to try to spot any new scars or injuries. There were wounds, which were bandaged, but he recognized them from her fight with the dog monsters.

Noriko snickered at his wording and pulled her hair into a ponytail. "It was only a few days," she reminded him. "You act like I was gone for years. And you know…you shouldn't word things like that. It sounds like you actually missed me."

"What if I did? There's nothing wrong with that."

The girl looked to the child sleeping on the floor and dragged a blanket over her, tucking it around her body to keep her warm. "So…you brought her here after I disappeared?"

"I didn't know what might happen so I kind of panicked and went to get her after I dropped off Genos. Don't worry; I didn't tell her what happened." Saitama paused and tilted his head. "You're really not going to tell her that she's-?"

"No way. It could only end badly if I told her." She gave him a stern glare for a moment, arms crossed over her chest. "So I expect you to respect my decision and not tell her. Alright?"

"Fine. Whatever you want. She's _your_ kid." He smiled, watched her roll her eyes, and finally pushed himself to get up from his futon. "So what're you making for breakfast?"

"Hn? What, are you going to help me?" Noriko walked into the kitchen and started going through the cupboards. "Uh…did you just not go shopping while I was gone?"

Saitama followed her and leaned against the counter. "I mean, Genos was gone, too. He usually gets groceries. I guess I thought he wouldn't be gone for too long." The man watched her gather some ingredients together on the opposite counter and soon she started to cook. Her tail curled at the end, her lips drawing up into a small smile as she worked. He thought back to the day before, when he had remembered her cooking in just a long t-shirt, and this inevitably made him think of what he did after thinking about her. Absently rubbing the back of his neck, he watched her plate their food. "Uh. Yeah, so I missed you guys while you were gone."

"I missed you both, too," she replied simply.

"No, I mean…I really missed you."

Noriko tilted her head. "I really missed you, too, Saitama. I'm just glad to be back."

"I'm really glad that you're back." He wanted to say more. _No, I don't want to say it. It's just bothering me. I can't say anything though. What's going to happen if I do? I can't do it._ He followed her into the other room and sat at the table while she woke Koneko. When the child sat up, blinking groggily at him, he forced a smile. "Sleep well?"

"Hn. I want to sleep more," she mumbled. Koneko slouched and began to eat, gradually waking up a little more with each bite. "What are we doing today? And where's senpai?"

"Senpai?" Noriko gave her a questioning look. "Wait…is she talking about Genos? Saitama, did you tell her to call him 'senpai'?"

This lifted his spirits a little and he soon found himself talking with the catgirls as if everything was normal. They decided to do strength training after breakfast, which cheered him up a little more. It was good because since she started cooking, a thought had formed at the back of his mind. A thought that was steadily nagging him until he had to acknowledge it. "Hey, so you didn't cook for Sonic while you were gone, right?"


	35. Chapter 35

"Hey, isn't that Samurai Catgirl?"

"What?! Whoa, it is! What's she doing in a game store? And is she hanging out with Loli Catgirl? Wow! She's so cute and little! And Samurai Catgirl is pretty hot!"

He glanced over after hearing the word 'catgirl' and was not disappointed. True to what the teenage boys were saying, there was a taller catgirl and a shorter one standing a few aisles away. _Wow. They're both really cute. They look like characters from a dating sim._ He could feel his heart beating faster the longer he stared. The shorter girl's tail was shifting back and forth as she looked at the shelf of games in front of her. _Why are they in a game store?_

"Which one, big sister?"

"Hn…don't know. A fighting game maybe? Which one do you think he'd like?"

"Sensei wouldn't want a stupid game."

"…that really doesn't narrow it down…"

He wondered if he should try to say hello to them. It was common knowledge that Samurai Catgirl was a Class A hero and that she was pretty strong so it was a little intimidating, but he did want to get a closer look. His heart was racing now and other game store patrons started to edge further away from him as it became audible.

"You heard, right? About Samurai Catgirl getting kidnapped by that assassin? It was during that fight with those dog monsters a while back," one of the teenage boys whispered.

"I heard that the assassin broke out of jail to get to her. And you know who put him in jail right? That cyborg hero Genos! People say that he put him there to punish him for liking her!"

"No way! Isn't that kind of harsh?" There was a brief pause in their conversation and when they started to speak again, their voices were full of nervousness. "Hey, maybe we shouldn't ask for an autograph. Isn't that him standing right outside the store?"

King looked toward the store window and spotted the cyborg standing out near the street, staring into the game store intensely. The sight of Genos instantly made up his mind for him. _Samurai Catgirl looks pretty busy. I probably shouldn't bother her_ , he thought as he began to sweat. When he turned away from the window, he jumped a little at the sight of the smaller catgirl staring up at him. "Uh…"

"I've seen you somewhere before," she stated in a high-pitched voice, tilting her head. The girl grinned wickedly. "Hn. You're a _hero_ , right? I remember now. When I was hunting blonde guys, trying to kill Genos-senpai, I saw you. Interesting. You didn't do a thing to stop me then, did you?"

"Koneko." The taller girl was came up on his other side now and walked around him to the child. "Sorry…is she bothering you?"

"Uh…no." He glanced toward the window and saw Genos approaching the store's entrance. "I need to go."

"Wait. You're…King, right? The Class S hero. This is perfect. Saitama said that he played a game with you a while back. Um…could you tell me what it's called? We wanted to get him a gift for something he did recently and we thought a video game would be-"

"This." He grabbed it off the shelf and offered it to her, sweating profusely now and hoping that she did not notice. The catgirls were both much cuter up close.

"Oh. Thanks." She smiled and was left behind with her sister when he bolted from the store.

 **Shift P.O.V**

"I am the great Sumo Rat! Tell me where to find Samurai Catgirl or I will begin killing-!"

"I don't have time for this." He darted forward and severed the rat's right arm just above the elbow. Immediately, it threw back its head and started screaming. Though he was irritated and incredibly impatient, he stood and waited for it to stop. "Are you done? Because I have a proposition for you."

"I refuse to work with a disgusting human! Tell me where-!"

"Do you really want me to cut off the limbs you have left and disembowel you?" He narrowed his eyes, watching the monster closely for signs of another attack. "You have contact with Kenta." The rat nodded, looking uneasy. "And Kenta must know approximately where she is. You weren't going to stop here. I can tell that you were heading somewhere else."

"J-just what are you trying to say? Spit it out!"

Sonic felt his lips drawing into a smirk. "Take me to where she is and maybe I'll let you live. Or at the very least, I'll make sure your death is _quick_."

"Y-you're going to kill me anyway! Why should I help you?! Why do you want to know where she is?"

"Let's just say that I have my reasons. So are you going to accept my proposition or not? I don't have all day to wait for you to make a decision. I'd like to find her before sunset."

The rat monster seemed to think for a moment before nodding, his rolls of fat jiggling. "Yes! Yes, alright! I'll work together with you, but please let me live!"

"I'll decide what happens to you when the time comes. Now crouch down; I'm riding on your back."

 **Shift P.O.V**

"Did you find what you were looking for?"

"Yep!" Koneko held up the video game triumphantly and smiled.

Noriko was carrying the bag with the actual game system in it, watching Koneko interact with Genos. _It really does seem like they're both making an effort to get along. I mean…I kind of get why he's doing it. But maybe Saitama convinced her to be nicer to Genos._ Their group of three started down the street, hoping to reach home by sunset. She still wanted to try to arrange for the old rancher to look after Koneko, but for the time being it seemed safer to keep her close.

"I saw a hero in there. It's kind of funny because I tried to kill him once because I thought he was you, Genos-senpai. Isn't that weird?" Koneko giggled, but the humor was lost on the cyborg.

When he turned to Noriko with a faintly curious look, she shrugged. "It's not good to kill people, Koneko."

"I don't anymore though! I won't unless it's a bad guy or a monster that's trying to hurt you, senpai, or sensei!" the child exclaimed.

"Perhaps you should test to become a hero like us," Genos pointed out. "Master Saitama said that you fight very well. You could strive to become a Class A hero like Noriko."

"Hnhnhn~ No way! I'm going to reach Class S! That's the strongest, right?! Isn't that what Saitama-sensei is?"

Noriko shared an amused glance with Genos. "Uh…you know what? He's so strong that Saitama can't even be put into a class," she awkwardly said.

"Wow! Sensei is even cooler than I thought!"

 _You and Genos both now? I guess as long as everyone is getting along._ She listened to them talk back and forth as the child asked questions about the test, including how Genos had scored on it. The older catgirl found her thoughts wandering as they talked. She remembered the strength training session from that morning. Saitama seemed distracted today. _Is it because Genos and I are back? Was it really that weird with us gone for a few days?_

The sound of chaos and destruction drifted down the street, accompanied by the screams of citizens. Noriko turned around in time to get tossed aside by a rat monster's massive snout slamming into her ribs. She crashed into the side of a building and winced at the pain. _Damn it! I should have guessed that…_ Her bright green eyes widened as the rat monster loomed over. "Wh-what the hell…am I looking at here?" she muttered.

"Did you think that you could get away from me that easily? I told you that I would never…" Sonic frowned from his seat on the monster's upper back. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

"Why are you riding _piggyback_ on a rat monster?" She supposed that she should be terrified. Here was the vicious ninja that she had just recently escaped the clutches of and a rat monster. A huge, hulking rat monster with a jiggling stomach; standing at least eight feet tall and missing half of its right arm. Despite these frightening things, her mind could not move past the fact that Sonic was perched up near its shoulders like a small child being carried by their parent.

The man fumed and brandished a shuriken. "I'm not riding _piggyback_! Now as I was saying-!"

"Wait…" Noriko looked around and was glad when she saw that Koneko was safe. Genos had grabbed her to get her out of the way of the charging monster was now standing off to the side, telling the girl to stay put. "Where's my bag?"

"Don't ignore me! I'm here to-!"

"That bag was _important_! Help me find it!" She spotted it a short distance away and pushed herself free of the brick wall, staggering over to the bag. _Damn it! A corner of it got chipped! Well I guess I can trade it in and just pay a little more to get a new one. What a waste of time though!_ Noriko felt her ears flatten in anger as she glared over at Sonic. Her tail flicked back and forth. She tossed the bag to Koneko, frowning. "Take that home, okay? Don't talk to anyone unless it's Saitama or Mumen Rider, alright?"

The child nodded in reply before turning her head toward Sonic. "You hurt her and you answer to _me_ , creep! Got it?! Don't even _think_ about it!"

Noriko watched her go and was glad when Genos appeared beside her. "So…are you going to explain why you're riding on a rat monster or can we get this fight over with?"

"Who was that small child?"

"None of your business! Why are you here?"

"I was wondering when you would come out of hiding again. I have been waiting for this opportunity." Genos glared fiercely at the ninja, but was ultimately ignored.

"So tell me. Who was it that broke you out?" Sonic taunted the catgirl.

She smirked, subtly shifting her position so her back was no longer to the wall. "Saitama broke me out. By the way, I don't appreciate that you hid my belongings from me. So what's this about? You want me to go back with you?"

"If you already know then why don't you make it easier on yourself and come without a fight?" He slid down from the monster's back and stood beside it, crossing his arms.

"If you think that I will let you take her again-!"

"This doesn't concern you. Stay out of our conversation."

"Don't talk to Genos that way," she snarled. She ducked as shuriken flew at her. The girl's left feline ear was nicked and blood ran down the side of her face. _Damn it!_ Holding the injury, she hissed at the ninja. " _Really_?! You _really_ just did that?"

From the look on his face, it was clear that he had not meant for it to actually hurt her, but he tried to cover it up with an evil grin. "Don't think that I won't do it again."

She looked at the blood on her hand and growled lowly. Her eyes lifted first to Sonic and then shifted quickly to the rat monster beside him. "You know, this isn't _your_ fight. Kenta sent you, right? To collect my body. I can tell that's why you're here. Let me guess though; you ran into _this_ creep and he promised not to kill you as long as you showed him where I was?" The rat nodded, rolls of fat jiggling in a disgusting fashion. Noriko reached to her swords, unsheathing them swiftly and tilting her head. "You don't want to die." It shook its head. "So I'll give you the chance to run away. You want to do that?"

"Kenta-sensei will destroy me!"

A cruel smile took form on her lips. "Well…this fight is going to be awkward then, isn't it? I can smell your fear from here. It smells like urine. It smells _nauseating_. My feline instincts want me to tear open your throat. Now…if you had agreed to leave, I might have been able to fight the instincts for longer. But that's not the case." Her eyes glimmered with ferocity and she lunged up at its neck.

Her actions started a bizarre chain reaction. She latched her swords into the monster's neck as it screamed and began to run on all fours, her body dragging along beneath it and tearing open the back of her shirt from the friction. Her skin was becoming bloody and bruised, but she held on tightly. Hot crimson liquid spilled from the monster's throat, painting the street a dark red as it raced down the rows of stores. Citizens fled into the shops and down alleyways, screaming in terror. Sonic watched this for a brief moment before sprinting behind the monster at full speed. Coming up beside it, he set his sights on Noriko and reached for her sword sheaths. Before he could even attempt to drag her away from the monster, he was forced to dodge a blast of fire from Genos, who suddenly appeared on the other side of the monster.

 _The other rat monsters didn't run on four legs! Why did I latch onto the only rat monster that does run on all four legs?! Damn it! Bad idea, bad idea, bad idea! My back feels like it's on fire!_ She closed her eyes tightly and tried to listen for the footsteps of either man. Noriko knew that if she let go of the monster, she would slide out into the open as it continued to run and then she would become an easy target for Sonic. _Pretty sure I'm alone! I'm going for it!_ She slid her blades free, still marveling at how lively the creature was for having a pierced throat, and flattened against the ground as it passed over her.

When it was clear, Noriko pushed herself to sit up and winced at the intense pain in her back. The cement was sticky with blood beneath her in a sickening mixture of her and the monster's blood. _Alright, I just need to get my bearings now and-!_ Her eyes widened as Sonic seemed to drop on her from out of nowhere, a blade in his hands. She struggled to lift her swords in order to block a blow that would otherwise bisect her, but the blade stopped before it could reach her.

Genos was in front of her now, blocking the sword with his forearm and glowering at the ninja. "Master Saitama said that you have a crush on Noriko. Did no one ever tell you? Hurting someone is not showing them that you like them!" He pushed forward, forcing Sonic to back away from them. With his other hand, he reached back to Noriko in a silent offer to help her up.

She took his hand and let him pull her up to stand. Tears of pain made her eyes burn, but she focused her glare on Sonic. Behind them, she heard the rat monster thrashing around in agony against the side of a building. Of course, she was now worrying about the welfare of the citizens down the street, but she forced her focus upon Sonic. "Well…looks like no more piggyback rides, huh?"


	36. Chapter 36

NeonHorizon: I wrote a different version of Chapter 36 last night and uploaded it, but took it down pretty quickly because I think it was garbage. So, sorry to the 4 or so people that had to read it. This should be a lot better. Sometimes a chapter just doesn't feel right so you have to delete it no matter how many hours it took. Anyway. Here it is.

* * *

 _'_ _Do you wish that you could always be around them?' Not really. I think that would be awkward. I'm pretty sure it would get annoying, too._ He rubbed the back of his head as he examined the next question. When the others left to run their errands, Saitama found himself growing bored. He had read all of his manga and there was nothing interesting on television. That being the case, he inevitably ended up wandering the apartment in search of something to entertain himself.

His wandering eventually led to him discovering a feminine sort of magazine that advertised a quiz on the cover. With nothing else to do, he settled at the table and started taking the quiz. His frown deepened as he read the next question again. _This is a lot of questions just to figure out if you're in love or not. And whoever took this last time must've hated their result. There are scribbles all over the place. Let's see. 'Do you find yourself thinking about them often?'_ The man tilted his head, considering it for a moment. _I mean, I guess so._

It was easy to answer the next few questions. They were pretty straight forward and took very little thought. Saitama yawned, beginning to lose interest and wondering if it was worth it to finish the quiz. _'What do you like the most about them?' The answers are 'looks', 'personality', and 'intelligence'. I guess personality? Looks are okay, but…_ He set down the pencil and glanced toward the apartment door. "When are they coming back? This is boring."

He managed to kill some more time by rummaging through the kitchen for snacks and then turning the television on again to try to find something interesting. Saitama settled for the news and let it play in the background as he returned his attention to the magazine quiz. _Next question. 'How do you feel about how you feel about them?' Wait. What? Like, how do I feel about…? I mean, I don't like it. The closest answer to that is 'guilt'. Do I feel guilty? Alright. Final question. 'Would you ever tell them how you feel?' I don't really know how I feel so I'll just put 'probably not'._ He turned the page and added up his answers, skimming for his result. Sighing in exasperation, he tossed the magazine onto the floor. "Are you kidding me?! 'It sounds complicated'? What kind of result is that?"

A bunch of dark scribbles on the page caught his attention and he dragged it back over to him. The result that was crossed out was barely readable at this point, but when he squinted he was able to make out the words 'Doubt it will last'. _Who else took this quiz?_

"The rat monster was killed just moments ago by Samurai Catgirl. We reported earlier that there appeared to be a fight taking place between the catgirl hero, the cyborg hero Genos, and a yet to be identified ninja. They dispersed just moments ago and we can only speculate that they intend to take the fight away from the city. Oh! He's here!" a reporter announced.

Saitama turned his head to the screen in time to see something really bizarre. _Whoa! What is that? I mean who is that?_ The image was a large rat monster, collapsed in a street in a puddle of blood with a smaller figure confidently approaching it. A smaller figure with long, coal black hair, pointed feline ears, and a feline tail that swayed back and forth as they reached the fallen beast. A clawed hand pressed against the monster's side and the figure seemed to shudder for a moment. The head turned and a pair of sharp red eyes focused on the camera. A smirk was displayed shortly before hefting the monster onto their back and sprinting out of view.

There was one thing about this that really bothered Saitama. Something that he simply could not ignore. "Did that guy have cat whiskers tattooed on his cheeks? That looked ridiculous!" He snickered to himself and looked back to the magazine.

"We don't know their name, but this man has appeared three times now. Every time a rat monster is destroyed, he comes to collect their remains so he's been referred to as the 'Catman Scavenger'."

The apartment door opened and Koneko slammed it behind her. She was about to throw the bag she was carrying, but seemed to rethink it when she saw him looking. "Sensei! It took me forever to find my way back here, but you have to help big sister and senpai! This ninja with a pervy look on his face was going after big sister and-!"

"Okay, try calming down before you explain."

"You have to go help them! Sensei, what if he kills her?!"

He raised an eyebrow, remembering the last time he saw Sonic with Noriko. "I don't think he's going to kill her. Hey, do you know anything about this Catman Scavenger guy?"

"What? What are you talking about? Just go help them!" She jumped when the apartment door opened again, this time to admit Genos and Noriko. "Ah! Are you okay, big sister? That ninja didn't molest you, did he?!"

 **Shift P.O.V**

Noriko frowned down at the child. "Uh…no. He didn't."

"I would never let that happen," Genos stated firmly.

"Hn…what happened to you then?" the girl challenged, crossing her arms. "Your shirt's all torn up and your ear's missing a little piece of it!"

 _Wait…what?_ She lifted her hand to her feline ear and gagged when she felt the slick, warm area where a small chunk of her ear was missing. _Damn it. I'll have to get him back for this later. That perverted jerk!_ Noriko sat on the floor, feeling exhausted from the fight with the rat monster. It had been the most exciting part of the day. She had expected a battle with Sonic, but he had gone before she even had the chance to go after him and Genos stopped her from trying to find him. Her swords were removed and set aside against the wall near her bag so she could stretch comfortably.

"You look pretty banged up," Saitama remarked from across the table.

It was now that her eyes settled on the magazine in front of him. Tilting her head, she tried to read the page that it was open to. "…what is that…?"

"Huh? I thought it was yours. Or is it Koneko's?"

They both went silent as Genos picked it up without a word and set about burning it. Koneko took this opportunity to present Saitama with his gift, grinning delightedly as he rubbed behind one of her ears and thanked her. "I mean, it was big sister's idea. But I told her it was a good one," she stated with a little too much pride.

 _Hn._ Noriko's ears went back, sending a jolt of pain through her injured one. _The way they look together. Almost like…_ She turned her head to the side, refusing to think of it like that. It would raise too many questions and she was not in the mood to deal with such thoughts. Nonetheless, it forced its way into her mind. _He'd make a good father. Damn it! I told myself I wouldn't think of that!_

"Noriko, can you take off your shirt? I want to clean the wounds on your back," Genos announced. He had disappeared into the bathroom after burning the magazine and was now holding a first aid kit.

"I-I guess." She carefully drew her shirt off over her head, exposing the raw and bloody skin on her back. A sharp cry left her when Koneko threw her arms around her to try to cover her up. "K-Koneko, what-?!"

"Not senpai! I don't want senpai looking at your or touching you!" the younger girl hissed, glowering at the blonde man.

"Koneko, her wounds need to be cleaned and she cannot reach them herself. Move aside and allow me to take care of her."

"Come any closer and I will tear open your torso and rip out those cold mechanical bits that you call innards, cretin!" She smirked when he took a step back, her tail flicking in irritation. "Alright? I want sensei to do it."

Saitama shook his head. "I'm not doing it. I don't even know what exactly-" He saw the frantic look in her eyes and frowned, knowing that if he did not indulge her then she would continue to throw a fit. "Ugh."

"Hn." Noriko slouched a little when the smaller catgirl released her, closing her eyes. _This is already embarrassing. I know he's going to ask what happened._

"So what happened?" he asked, settling behind her and taking the kit from Genos.

Her ears flattened and she winced, feeling a cold alcohol wipe slide over her wounds. "Ngh! Careful, okay? A-and I tried to cut through a monster's neck, but…it ended up dragging me under it and tearing open the back of my shirt," she explained through gritted teeth.

"Looks pretty bad. I saw that thing on the news. Do either of you know about that Catman Scavenger?" He heard Noriko snicker and it made him grin. "That's a ridiculous name, right?"

"What do you mean Catman Scavenger? Is that a new hero?" Genos sat on the floor near them, but kept his distance when he saw the bloodlust in Koneko's eyes.

"I don't think so. I guess he's been taking the bodies each time a rat monster gets killed. The news was talking about him earlier. It was weird. I didn't think there were any other cat people in the world besides Nya-chan and the kid."

A chill ran down the girl's spine. _Another cat person? And it's a guy?_ She bit the inside of her cheek, trying to stay calm. "Y-you're sure it's a male?"

"Well he had really long hair, but I'm pretty sure it was a guy. He didn't have any curves or anything. But he had ears and a tail like you do and they were moving so I'm pretty sure they were real." Saitama finished cleaning her wounds and leaned back for a moment. After wiping away the blood and dirt, it looked a lot less serious. Just some scratches and bruises. Really carefully, he ran a finger along her spine; tracing from the nape of her neck down to just above the waist of her jeans. He felt her tremble under his touch and tilted his head, smiling faintly at her reaction. The girl's skin felt smooth and soft beneath his fingertip. "You know, it really doesn't look so bad now."

She glanced over to Koneko, who was flipping through a manga and occasionally lifting her gaze to stare at Genos. It was obvious that the child was not paying attention to what was being said. _A cat person and it was a guy. So either Kenta found another person with genes that are compatible with a cat's or…could it have been Kenta himself? He isn't in his original body. Could someone have built him a cat person body? But they would need his research._ She ran her fingers through her hair, growling softly. "I just…can't even."

"What?"

"I need to just…I need to do something to help me focus. Ngh! Careful!" she muttered as he started to clean her injured ear.

"Sorry. This is a weird angle. Can you turn around?" He immediately regretted asking this when she turned and he saw her chest, covered only by a tight black sports bra. Determined to finish the task of cleaning her wounds, he forced his eyes to remain above her neckline. "So what happened to your ear anyway? Was that the rat monster, too?"

"She was injured by a shuriken. I was unable to protect her." There was a certain anguish to the words and Genos frowned deeply at his companions as he spoke them.

"Uh…I mean, accidents happen. She's alive anyway. Besides, I think it makes you look cute, Nya-chan. Like a tough little stray cat." Saitama finished cleaning her wound and leaned closer to her so he could put a bandage over it. "There. Good as new."

"…I have a _chunk_ missing out of my ear…" she muttered, watching him through her long violet hair. Her head was bowed to hide the fact that she was blushing pink. _I wish I could just get over my anxiety. It's just Saitama, but when he or any other guy gets this close…I still get nervous._

"Noriko, would you like to go back to where we left the monster? If the Catman Scavenger left a trail or any trace of himself, we should be able to follow it."

"S-sure. Let me just grab a new shirt."

"Oh. Here you go. Just take this one."

She stared at the sweatshirt that Saitama was offering her. "Um…no."

"What's wrong with it?"

"Girls…shouldn't wear shirts that say 'oppai'." Noriko dug around in her bag until she found a black shirt with long sleeves. Though it vaguely made her think of Sonic, she pulled it on and grabbed her swords. Genos was waiting for her at the door, looking eager to get the search started. _What if it isn't Kenta though? What if it really is another person with DNA compatible with a cat's? But…it's a guy. How would I deal with this?_

Saitama yawned and stood as well, slipping the sweatshirt on over the shirt he was wearing. "I'll go with you guys. I want to know what's going on."

"We cannot leave Koneko here alone," Genos pointed out. All three of them turned to look at the child, who was curled up near the wall with a manga in her hands. She appeared completely engrossed in the book, but that could only last for so long. If she looked up and found them gone, she would surely rampage through the city until she found them. Or at least until she located Noriko or Saitama. "One of us should stay with her."

"Or we could get a babysitter," Saitama suggested.

"Hn. Who would want to babysit her? I mean…it would take a certain kind of person to be able to keep her entertained and keep her from looking for us." Noriko tilted her head when she saw a smile appear on Saitama's face. "Um…you have an idea then?"

"I know the perfect person!"

"Maybe think this over before-"

"Hey, Koneko. You want to meet a strong friend of mine?" Seeing the girl's eyes light up, he knew that he had her attention. "They want someone to hang out with so I thought you could talk to them for a while. What do you think?"

She looked skeptical now. "Hn. Why can't I go with you guys?"

"If you ask too many questions, we won't get ramen for dinner."

"Ramen?!" She growled quietly for a moment before huffing in frustration. "Fine. I'll humor you. But if you guys go somewhere fun without me, I'll know. Don't think that I won't. And if creepy senpai touches my big sister, I want you to beat the tar out of him, sensei!"

As they started off, Noriko felt a deep frown developing on her face. _I haven't seen the other cat person, but I already have a bad feeling. What is this? It's like…preemptive hatred almost. Like I might kill them if I see them. Is it a feline instinct? Like being territorial?_


	37. Chapter 37

"Granny, this is my big sister! She's a hero and we fought a monster together yesterday and-!" Koneko blushed pink and frowned as she realized that she had been acting tremendously excited as she spoke to her employer. "I mean…this is Noriko. And Genos-senpai, I guess. Sensei couldn't make it today because he had stuff to do."

"Er…it's nice to meet you," Noriko awkwardly said, holding out her hand for the elderly woman to shake. She had expected a stereotypical sweet old woman, but what she had found was a somewhat coarse, weathered looking lady with an unsettling half-smile and scars. Her bright green eyes skimmed over the dragon tattoos that graced the woman's bare arms and briefly wondered if she had ever been part of a crime family.

"Name's Koto." The old woman shook her hand firmly. "Don't you worry about little Koneko; she's in good hands with me."

She wanted to ask what the lady meant, being nearly certain that she was referring to the issue of Kenta still being alive, but chose not to. Another chance might arise and if it did, she would take it then. She had no desire to talk about it in front of Koneko. Two weeks had passed since the last rat monster attack. When she and her friends went to investigate the cat person sighting, they found no trace or trail. Though there had been more and more attacks by dog monsters. Just the day before, Noriko had taken Koneko with her and Genos to fight three of them. This time they had been victorious.

When they left the ranch, it began to rain lightly. Noriko cast a somewhat worried glance toward Genos as she briefly wondered if he would be alright. _We haven't been alone together since that day that Sonic grabbed me. He hasn't really said much since our last fight with Sonic, either. But he insisted on coming with me to drop off Koneko._ The cold rain made her shiver as it slid down her face and neck, wetting her t-shirt. It was soothing and almost managed to take her mind off of her worries. "Do you think she's going to be okay?"

"Yes. Master Saitama sent me here yesterday to explain everything to the old woman. I instructed her to call if anything suspicious occurs." Water dripped from the blonde's hair and slid along the crevices and grooves of his body in a way that made her blush. Of course, he noticed this. It gave him a small sense of satisfaction even. After the chaotic days leading up to this, he had started to question how she really felt about him. It was only made worse by that awful result he got in the magazine quiz.

"…thank you…" She sighed in a mixture of frustration and relief. "I just…I'm still not sure how to feel about everything. I never expected it to be like this."

They walked through the forest in silence as they both fell deep into thought. The catgirl was worried about whether or not he was angry with her as well as worried about Kenta's whereabouts. The cyborg was wondering what she was thinking about as well as wondering whether or not Saitama would be home when they returned. When they entered the city, the suggestion was made that they get groceries before the rain became too much.

 _Why am I blushing like this? I mean, it's not like I haven't seen him in the rain before. I shouldn't be getting so excited about seeing his hair drip or seeing raindrops run over the grooves of his arms._ She shook her head, frowning. "…why am I staring…?"

"Did you say something?" he asked, turning away from a shelf in the store.

"N-nothing." The girl quickly averted her gaze from him, not wanting it to be obvious. _I mean, we're still dating, right? So why am I ogling him like this is the first time…?_ Her gaze had turned from Genos and happened to land on a figure several feet away with their back turned to her. Behind her, her tail started to droop a little. _My luck is just absolutely rotten. I must have some sort of curse on me._ As she continued to watch, she saw him look at her over his shoulder and smirk. Her hands balled into fists, nails digging lightly into her palms as she made the decision to simply ignore him. Paying attention to him would only encourage the man. Instead, she focused her attention on Genos once more.

"Noriko, is something bothering you?" The blonde turned toward her suddenly and immediately spotted the figure in black standing several feet behind the girl. "I see."

"Just…ignore him. If we let him bother us, it will just-" She yelped when he grabbed her arm and drew her close against him. "G-Genos? What are you doing?" Her eyes lifted to his gold and black ones, curiosity making her tail curl at the end. "You…know we're in public, right?"

"Do you still love me?"

The question made her heart beat a little faster and made her stomach twist in knots. _I do. I do love him. But when he asks that, I immediately think of when I told Sonic…but it's not like I even know how I feel about Sonic._ She put her arms around his neck, dragging his face down toward hers. "I still love you," she stated firmly. "Do you still love me?"

"Of course I do." Ignoring the murderous gleam in the ninja's eyes, he covered her lips with his and wrapped an arm around her waist.

Noriko could feel that they were being watched and by more than one person. It made her blush a little, but it did not make her want to pull away from him. Even though they were both wet from the rain, she wanted to stay close to him for as long as possible. Her fingers gradually moved up the back of his neck and ran through his hair, still amazed at how soft it felt. A pressure against her lower back alerted her to their lower halves drawing closer together. _We shouldn't be doing this in the middle of the store…but I don't care right now. It's been so long since we had a moment like this._

He eventually broke the kiss and leaned back so he could look at her expression. The girl's eyes were half-closed, her lips drawn up into a smile that clearly displayed her delight. Taking her hand in his, Genos continued down the aisle with no regard for the ninja now following them at a distance. In fact, Sonic's presence was all but forgotten at this point.

She glanced over her shoulder once and saw that they were being followed. Worry filled her for a brief moment before she felt a rush of comfort from her hand being held. They moved to another section of the store, but of course he continued to follow at a distance. When she caught a glimpse of his expression, it was one of amusement. This might have worried her if she was alone, but she was certain that he would refrain from attacking if Genos was with her.

 _I can't get involved with him again_ , she silently determined. _If I'm alone with him again, only bad things could happen. Not to mention that I'm dating Genos. Speaking of which…_ She smirked, making sure that Sonic saw her, and looked toward her boyfriend. The blonde was trying to select something from a shelf, his back momentarily toward her. Noriko's tail swayed back and forth a few times before she stepped closer to him. Her right hand lifted, fingertips gently brushing over his cheek to turn his face toward hers. When she leaned up to kiss him, the fingers of her free hand twitched in anticipation. She had plans for what she would do next, but they did not happen.

The blonde kissed back and let his hand move to her bottom. His fingertips cupped the right side, tenderly at first. The kiss quickly grew strangely possessive and his hand drew back before striking her bottom with force. She released a yelp, but it was muffled by his mouth. Her hips were pushed forward against his in response to his action. He bit down on her lower lip lightly, his free hand threading into her long violet hair.

Her eyes opened wide when she realized what he was doing. It was exactly what she had planned to do; a passionate public display of affection to try to show Sonic who she loved. _I don't think that what I was planning was this extreme. That…actually kind of hurt._ Noriko carefully broke the kiss and looked away. "M-maybe we should hurry before it starts to storm."

It was already storming when they got outside, but they had purchased an umbrella so at least they had cover. Running through the rain alongside Genos, she kept her head bowed. He saw this and frowned. "Is everything alright?"

"Y-yes. Everything's fine."

Studying her expression only made him worry more. When they arrived back at the apartment, they were both soaked and the umbrella was tossed in the trash. It had been broken by a particularly harsh wind just a few blocks from their building. Genos left her for a moment to get them some towels and returned to find her sitting on the floor. She was in the process of taking off her wet shirt, freezing in place when their eyes locked. "Your wounds healed quickly," he awkwardly commented.

"Y-yeah. Even my ear." She peeled off the wet fabric and started to dig around in her bag for a clean shirt when she felt Genos suddenly sitting close behind her. The girl grimaced when he started to rub her hair dry with the towel. _Why does he always do that?_

"We need to talk."

"…what do we need to talk about…?" she asked with caution. Noriko wanted to turn to look at him, but his arms wrapped around her and held her in place.

"What happened when he took you?" This question had been on his mind since they had been reunited. The day they were separated had been nothing short of a nightmare. His fight with the dog monsters should have been quick. He should have been able to easily defeat them. When the largest one tore into his back and dealt that horrific damage, he could feel himself gradually slowing down. It took more and more effort to make his body move. The moment that he was unable to keep going, he had felt helpless. He was immobilized, forced to watch the dog monster attack Noriko. Forced to hear them when they spoke of killing her in front of Genos.

"When Speed o' Sound Sonic took me," she started. "I actually…didn't stay conscious for long after he picked me up." The girl went on to explain most of what had occurred, leaving out the intimate parts, and ended with Saitama rescuing her. "So…that's…what happened while I was gone."

The silence that followed was extremely awkward. "Noriko, was he the one that you told us about a few weeks after you joined us?"

She felt his hold on her tighten like a vice. "Hn…y-yes, but…it was before I f-fell in love with you…and…"

"How do you feel about him?"

"I… _hate_ him," she answered truthfully. Though she also cared about him, she was not about to tell Genos this. _If I was a normal girl, I'm pretty sure this hug would have crushed my ribcage by now._ She leaned her head back to try to see his expression. The cyborg stared down at her intensely, sending a shiver down her spine. "Genos, you know that I love you."

"I know. You love me and you hate him." Stating this fact seemed to calm him somewhat as his grip on her loosened to a comfortable level. "Did he touch you?"

There was a different sort of tone to his voice now and she could feel his metal body heating behind her. Noriko muttered her response, eyes closing as she anticipated his angry response. Surely he would go out to seek some sort of vengeance on Sonic and then return to question if it had been consensual. Prepared for the worst, she was startled when she suddenly found herself lying on her back with him braced over her. "G-Genos?!"

"If he touched you, then I need to reclaim what is _mine_." He felt her shudder beneath him and it only urged him on. Thoughts, dangerous sorts of thoughts, came to him as he leaned down to kiss along her neck. He remembered that day, what felt like months ago, when they had encountered Sonic in the street. The ninja had bared a bite mark and bruise on his neck. Realization began to sink in and his hands found her shoulders, holding her tightly. "You left marks on his neck."

"I-I bit him…the second time I crossed paths with him," she answered, terrified of what might happen if she remained silent. Noriko tried to stay calm, but her heart was racing. _Saitama will be back soon, right? He has to be back soon._ "I…I was trying to get away from him."

"And you hate him."

"I hate him." The girl felt his hold loosen and soon his body was pressing against hers. She lifted her arms, wrapping them around his neck in an effort to calm him further. "Genos…I love you. You know that. And the entire time that I was with him, I was thinking of you."

The blonde felt her face nuzzle against the side of his neck and felt mixed emotions. He was angry, but she was trying so hard to make him feel better. The feeling of her body pressed against his made him start to lose focus. "I never want you to be alone with him again."

"I won't be alone with him," she stated. Her lips pressed to his neck, feeling the warmed metal beneath her skin, and found herself wondering if he could feel her kisses there. When his hips ground upon hers, she received her answer. The girl was reluctant to pull back, but when she did she found her eyes meeting his in a collision of lustful gazes. "C-can you…move us? I want to try something new…"

He was more than happy to oblige and shifted so she was sitting on his waist. Her fingers trailed down his abdomen, running over the hard metal under his shirt. Her touch sent a pleasant rush of desire to his brain, which then activated the certain part of him that he had kept visually hidden from her so far. "Noriko-" A groan cut off his words as her hips rolled against his.

She felt a rush of euphoria run through her when she saw his eyes half close in pleasure. Leaning down, she kissed along his neck and made her way to his lips. Nipping lightly at his bottom lip, she got an odd sense of satisfaction. _Like revenge for earlier_ , she thought with a smirk. The apartment door opened and closed, making the two freeze in place. Her face turned red when she looked over to find their friend standing there, staring with a deadpan expression on his face. "S-Saitama?!" In an instant, Noriko found herself being shielded by Genos.

"Master Saitama, could you let us have a little more time?"

"Uh…sure. Yeah. I'll just…" He awkwardly scratched the back of his neck, turning his head to the side. "I'm going for a walk around the building so just try to keep it quiet, okay? Noise echoes down the halls." The man looked toward them again, raising an eyebrow. "Everything okay?"

"Everything is fine. I apologize for-"

"Don't worry about it. Just makes me feel a little bad." Seeing that Genos was getting ready to apologize again, he waved it off. "Seriously. Just don't worry about it. It's no one's fault. I'll just go for a walk."

When the apartment door closed, Noriko could sense an odd tension in the air. "Genos…if you don't want to do anything now…"

"I am just worried about Master Saitama." He shook his head. "I apologize, Noriko. We should do this another time."


	38. Chapter 38

A sigh slipped from her lips as she leaned back against the cold wall of the balcony. Noriko closed her eyes, listening to the sounds in the street below. It was strangely active and not with monsters. People had taken to walking along the roads of their neighborhood. They felt like it was safe now. After all, the monster attacks seemed to happen closer to the more populated areas and three heroes were living in the building. Her right ear twitched, picking up sounds in the apartment.

Saitama and Genos had gone somewhere, leaving the girl alone only after she absolutely insisted. She had sworn to stay in the apartment until their return, but the balcony had felt safe enough. It was better than the silence within. Now she could heard the door closing, the fridge opening, and soon footsteps approaching the open balcony door. Her hands lifted, fingers running through her hair as she took a deep breath. "…welcome home…"

"Did anything happen while we were gone?"

She opened her eyes, directing her gaze at Genos. "No. Nothing. Did you get what you needed?" Noriko pushed herself to stand and stepped back into the apartment so he could close the balcony door.

"They were sold out of what Master Saitama wanted. He said that he would pick up Koneko and take her with him to the next city to search for it." The cyborg scanned the area where she had been sitting and then looked around past that. People were walking down the street, but he could see no other possible threats. Turning his attention back to her, he saw the girl frowning and wrapping her arms around herself. "Are you cold?"

"No. Just a little tired, I guess." She sat at the table, slouching a little as she remembered the last time they were alone. It had only been a few days, but she could definitely feel that things were different between them. _He knows now. About Sonic. What am I going to do? What if he's mad at me? What if this is it? If Genos broke up with me…I don't even know what I'd do. I would probably have to leave the apartment. Maybe even City Z._ Realizing that he had yet to close the door, she raised an eyebrow and glanced over. "Genos?"

His back was to her, seemingly focused on something out on the balcony. "Do you want to try something new?"

Her heart skipped a beat at these words. Every time he spoke those words, it meant something good. Something that would undoubtedly make her blush. She absently bit at her thumbnail, her tail fidgeting behind her. "Hn…wh-what about Saitama?"

"He said that he would be gone for most of the afternoon."

In an effort to hide the pink hue taking over her cheeks, she pulled up the hood of her shirt and bowed her head. "W-well what did you have in mind?"

"I want it to be a surprise." Genos stepped toward the object he had fixated on and lifted it, glancing over his shoulder to see her eyes focused elsewhere. "So do you want to try something new?"

"A-alright."

"Do you trust me?"

Within the shadow of her hood, the girl's eyes widened. _When did he get behind me?_ She tried to turn her head, but the hood got in her way. "Um…just…what exactly-?" Her right wrist was gripped gently and pulled behind her back before something wound tightly around it. When her left wrist joined it, she felt her heart begin to race. _What is he doing? Did he just tie my wrists together?!_ Noriko began to tremble with a combination of fear and excitement. "This…really is a surprise. Um…so what-?"

He turned her head gently, pulling her hood down to reveal her face again. "Do you trust me?" Genos repeated, studying her fearful expression.

"I trust you, but I don't-" She was interrupted once more, but this time by his lips pressing against hers. Noriko's body was turned now and she fell onto her back. He braced himself over her, continuing to watch her face for traces of discomfort. _He's worried about hurting me_ , she realized. _He's trying to act like this is nothing, but he's still worried._ She tilted her head, staring up at him and blushing. "You…wanted to try…"

"I saw this in a manga."

"Wh-what sort of manga…?"

"I have not finished," he stated. "Do you want me to continue?"

"A-alright."

"If I continue, I do not think that I will be able to hold back. Do you still want me to continue?" There was genuine worry in his words, but his eyes showed his eagerness.

"Y-yes." The second her answer came, she felt his fingers at the hem of her shirt. Before she could begin to wonder what he was about to do, he began ripping her shirt up the center. When it was open, he pushed it down her arms so that the fabric bunched over the clothesline that he had bound her wrists with. Nervousness started to make her stomach twist in knots as she saw his expression turn from worry to determination. He moved down her body, eyes on hers as he worked her pants open and drew them down her legs.

Having her watch him only encouraged him to keep going. He could feel her pulse beneath his fingers as he ran a hand along her neck. She was fearful, but excited. Noriko bit her lip and looked away when he pressed a kiss above her heart. His other hand moved up and down her side, finally stopping at her chest to cup her breast. "I apologize for what happened last time, but I will not let anything interfere today. I want you all to myself."

The girl's back arched when she felt his thumb rub over the peak of her breast through her bra. "Genos…"

"It is more difficult than you realize." He pushed the cups of her bra up, exposing her chest and immediately rubbing the left one. His other hand moved to the front of his pants now to open them, but quickly returned to rub between her legs. "For the past few days, this has been all that I could think about."

She wanted to pull him close, but her arms were still trapped behind her back. Worse, the circulation was being cut off by her full weight being pressed on them. Her fingers were tingling, but she chose not to mention it. Instead, Noriko leaned up and caught his lips with hers. An arm wrapped around her upper back, holding her in place as the kiss deepened. Feeling his hand on her breast, massaging it with a little more vigor, she pressed her chest closer to him. The second that their kiss broke, she looked to him with pleading green eyes. "C-can you please…?"

To hear the desperation in her voice was almost too much for him. Genos stared back at her with a hint of amusement on his features. "What do you need, Noriko?"

"Ngh~ You know what I need," she growled.

"I want to hear you say it," he stated firmly. The blonde let her fall onto her back once more, his hand returning to the warmth between her legs. He ran his fingers over her covered slit, feeling moisture beginning to build there. When her hips rolled in time to his rubbing, he knew that it was just a matter of seconds before she said it. The words that he craved.

"I-I need _you_ , Genos." She closed her eyes when she felt him draw back and soon felt the last piece of clothing covering her being removed. Noriko's heart was hammering in her chest in anticipation. The last time they had been alone together, Saitama had showed up before anything could actually happen. Not only had it been frustrating for her, but she knew that it had been frustrating for Genos. Now there was no chance of that happening. The only thing she wanted to be different was the restriction of her arms. She wanted to hold onto him. Not to mention that the position she was stuck in left her feeling almost uncomfortably vulnerable.

He gripped her ankles and pushed them up toward her thighs, watching her face contort in slight discomfort. It was too late to stop now. Sliding himself into her, he gritted his teeth to withhold a groan of pleasure. She, on the other hand, released a loud moan as she felt the head of his member swiftly strike against a certain spot within her. Genos leaned down to her ear and nipped lightly. "I did warn you that I will not be able to hold back."

 _Wait…what?!_ Her eyes snapped open wide when his hips began to ram into hers, drawing forth grunts and cries from the girl. In an attempt to silence herself, she bit her bottom lip. It muffled the sounds, but they were still audible. _I sound so weak! And these noises…they're so embarrassing! He usually waits and lets me adjust, but…he's going so fast right now!_ Her face turned red as she released her bottom lip and moaned loudly. He had angled himself so most of his weight bore down on her with each thrust of his hips, forcing himself deeper into her than usual. "G-Genos, please! Just…just a little less…"

"I did warn you," he repeated, his voice thick with lust. "I cannot hold back now." It had been quite a while since they had last made love and feeling her warm, wet opening gripping onto him was better than he remembered. She was blushing red and panting, trying so hard to keep her sounds quiet when all he wanted was to hear her moan his name again. Determination made him want to go faster, but he managed to remember her comfort. Wrapping his arms around her, he lifted her upper back so her arms did not bear all of their combined weight.

She was soon being carried across the room to the wall, where he settled with her on his lap and pulled her chest against his. It felt comforting, but she knew what would happen next. He held her tightly and began thrusting up and into her, striking hard against that spot within her. Keeping her pinned against him with one arm, he shifted the other between them so his fingers pressed on her clit. The girl threw her head back, his name finally leaving her lips in a pleading moan that made him shudder beneath her. He rubbed at the bundle of nerves gently; trying to draw more sounds from Noriko. "Ngh! Aaaaah~ Genos, I-I can't-!"

He felt her muscles tighten around him, coating him in her juices. The feeling was almost too much for him to handle. Forcing himself to maintain a sense of calm, he stopped moving and let her rest her head against his shoulder while she recovered from her climax. Behind her back, he could feel her wrists straining at the clothesline and he briefly wondered if he should have put something between her skin and the restraint. When she started moving her hips on her own, his attention was drawn back to the current situation. Noriko bowed her head and drew her warm opening along his length, causing him to groan softly. Her face nuzzled the side of his neck and he heard her whisper his name.

Noriko withheld a yelp when he grabbed her bound wrists and pulled her off of him. Her first thought was that he was angry with her, but she soon realized that she was very wrong. He set her on the floor, dragging a pillow over to put beneath her face when he turned her onto her front. _What is he going to do? Wait…isn't this Saitama's?! Shouldn't we-?_ Her train of thought was completely shattered when he thrust into her from behind, gripping her hips tightly with both hands. "Aaaah! Genos~!" The words came out much louder than before, threaded heavily with desire.

Her face was turned to the side, her eyes closed, but he was still able to see her expression from his position behind her. "I told you that I would not be able to hold back," he stated, pulling out a little before thrusting back in, hard. One hand wandered from her hip to her bound wrists, fingers tenderly running over her skin. Though it made him question things about himself, he found that he actually enjoyed seeing her this way. It was unfortunate, but after hearing that Sonic had bound her with chains, he had been curious about binding her. He frowned at this and tried not to think about another man doing this with Noriko. After thrusting into her at a variety of speeds and depths, he settled into one that seemed to draw the biggest reaction from her. Pounding his hips into the back of hers, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pressed his chest against her back. His other hand, now free from lavishing attention on her wrists, moved between her legs to rub small circles over her bundle of nerves.

"Ngh…" Noriko was putting forth a lot of effort to keep from making sounds, but they were still escaping her. It was made worse when she realized, with great embarrassment, that she was so wet that she could feel juices running down her thighs. _Is it because it's been so long since the last time? I don't think it felt like this when I was Sonic. It's…Genos, isn't it? He affects me this way, more than Sonic can._ A smile grew on her lips and she moaned loudly, feeling the head of his hard cock slam deep within her. She still wished that her arms were free so she could at least hold onto something, but she was quickly beginning to find arousal in her arms being trapped.

Genos continued this way for a while, though he was soon wishing that he could see her full expression. Her face was half hidden by the pillow and he started to quickly realize that this position could not be comfortable; each thrust pushed her face and chest into the pillow, nearly smothering her. He pulled out for a moment to flip her onto her back, but left her head resting on the pillow. An arm went beneath her lower back so it was elevated, keeping her arms from losing circulation, and he pushed into her again. His eyes wandered along her body, taking in every inch of her exposed flesh. He examined every scar, every little imperfection that he loved, and then paused when he came to her opening. Seeing his hard, metal cock sliding in and out of her increased his desire almost unbearably. Watching her seem to swallow him up, coating with her juices each time he moved to slide back out, made his pulse grow faster.

She saw it just second before he started to move at a much quicker speed. It was a flicker in his gaze that gave it away. Noriko had no time to prepare herself and found a low, powerful moan rushing from her lips. A metal hand quickly covered her mouth, smothering any further sounds that threatened to escape her. She closed her eyes, trying to hide from her embarrassment as he continued to thrust into her. The speed at which he moved caused an intense friction between his member and the walls of her opening that soon had her climaxing again. Her back arched, walls tightening around him, and she soon felt the familiar sensation of a warmth filling her. _What…is that?_ She went limp beneath him, panting and staring up into his eyes. He leaned down to kiss her, hands moving behind her back to unbind her wrists. _He isn't in a normal body so when he climaxes…what is it that goes into me?_

The cyborg sat back and pulled her against him, settling her on his lap. He rubbed her wrists, frowning at the red marks left by the clothesline. "Was that too much for you?"

"N-no…um…" Noriko pulled her hands free and wrapped her arms around his neck, delighting in her ability to hold him. She lifted herself a little and pressed her lips to his, letting her hand wander to the back of his head. _I don't want to be apart from him again and the thought of him being mad at me…I can't stand it. I just want to stay like this forever._

Genos kissed back, keeping her body tight against his own. They would need to separate eventually so she could get dressed, especially since he knew Saitama would be back soon. For the moment, he simply wanted to hold her.


	39. Chapter 39

It was a nightmare the likes of which most would be unable to take. Noriko's eyes snapped open, tears drying on her cheeks as she took a shaky breath. _My family…I still need to avenge them._ Her hands curled into fists and she frowned as she came to notice a warmth at her back. This, in turn, led to her noticing the arm wrapped around her upper half. It was holding her on her side, on someone's lap. _Wait…what was I doing before I fell asleep? I don't even remember dozing off._ She turned her gaze as a hand started to absently stroke behind her nicked ear. "…Saitama…?"

"Are you okay? You dozed off while we were watching the news and I just kind of…" He stared down at her, wearing his usual deadpan expression.

Despite his blank face, she could sense something akin to worry. "Y-yeah. I think I'm okay. Sorry." To her frustration, she started to purr.

He reached down and wiped at a tear sliding down her right cheek. "What were you dreaming about?"

"My family. I still haven't avenged them yet."

"I mean, it's not like it's going to be easy. Kenta seems to know what he's doing. Do you have a plan though? Like what you're going to do when you do find him?"

She closed her eyes and released a sigh. "I'm not sure. Did Genos come back yet?"

"He came back for a while and then went to get the mail."

The girl sat up and ran her fingers through her hair to detangle it. _I don't know if I can just sit here when I'm like this. I feel embarrassed that Saitama had to see me like that. And if Genos knows that I was crying…_ She shook her head and rummaged in her bag for a pair of jeans, a long-sleeved black shirt, and a jacket. With no real plan, Noriko changed in the restroom and went to look outside.

Saitama followed her gaze, still sitting on the floor. He had watched her from the corner of his eye as she crossed the room, her tail drooping when she went to the balcony door. "Looks cold. Are you going out?"

"Hn. I think I'll just go for a walk. I need to think."

"Want me to go with you?"

"I need to think," she repeated. Turning away from the door, she saw that he was watching her. "What? I just…sort of need to be alone for a while." Truthfully, that was the last thing she wanted after having such a horrific nightmare. _Maybe if I'm lucky, I'll run into a weaker monster that I can fight. That should take my mind off of that nightmare._

Just as Saitama predicted, the air outside was colder than usual and made her fur puff up in an attempt to keep her warmer. Her lips twisted into a disgusted frown. When her tail fluffed up, people paid even more attention to it. A few days prior, she had been out strength training with Saitama and he had teased her about how fluffy it got. Her thoughts briefly wandered to Koneko as she thought about buying the child warmer clothes for the cold season.

 **Shift P.O.V**

"Oh. Hey, Genos. You just missed Nya-chan. She woke up and decided to go out."

The cyborg set down their mail and turned toward the door, wanting to find her. Any time she was out of his sight, he worried about the girl being kidnapped again. The only time he seemed even slightly alright with her going off without him was when Saitama accompanied her. "Did she say where she was going?"

"Out for a walk." Instantly recognizing the way Genos looked at the door, Saitama moved to stop him. "She wanted to go alone."

"Master Saitama, you know the dangers of letting her go into the city alone."

"I know, but you have to have some faith in her. Nya-chan can take care of herself." He saw the blonde about to protest and held up a hand to silence him. "Last time was different. She's smart, okay? She'll come back if she thinks she needs help or she'll find Mumen Rider." Again, he saw Genos about to protest. "I know what you think, but seriously! He said it before that she's not his type and she said he's not her type!"

"No. If I remember correctly, Noriko said that she prefers men with black hair."

"Are you trying to _start_ something right now? I really can't tell." Saitama stared at him for a moment before deciding that he was not trying to start a fight. "Okay, how about this? Open the mail and then we'll see how we feel. If you still want to look for her after you go through the mail, I'll help you. But you have to give her a chance, alright? She's probably just doing Nya-chan stuff anyway."

Thankfully, Genos sat at the table and dragged the box of mail in front of him. He started to open envelopes, seeming to have calmed. "What would you define as 'Nya-chan stuff'?"

"I don't know." He frowned, crossing his arms on the table in front of him as he considered the question. "I guess shopping and stuff. I mean, it's not like she has friends other than us and Mumen Rider." His frown deepened a little as he looked down at the surface of the table. Putting her situation into words actually made her sound quite depressing. _She is happy here with us, right? I've never really asked her. She seems happy. I know she didn't want to stay with us at first, but she seems like she's okay with it now._

The rhythmic sound of paper ripping filled the otherwise quiet room as the cyborg sorted through their mail. As he worked, Saitama seemed to fall deep into thought. When the ripping sound stopped, it made the bald hero turn his eyes back to Genos. "What's up?"

"Noriko received a letter from my fan club."

"What? Why would they send _her_ something? Wait, it's not more death threats, is it?" He held out a hand expectantly and accepted the paper from the blonde. _This isn't just a letter_ , he thought with a flicker of anger. _This is a petition for Genos to break up with her. And over 20,000 people signed it?! Seriously? Who has time for this crap?_ A look toward his friend showed a dark expression on the man's face. "You know, just because they all signed this-"

"I have no intention to break up with Noriko, but the fact that someone created this petition and that this many people signed it…"

He saw the blonde moving to stand and moved quickly to stop him from getting to the door. "You can't go out and personally beat up each of those people. We both know that. It would be stupid to even try to. Why don't you just ignore it?"

"Did you read what they called her?"

"I did, but are you really going to let it piss you off? Look, she doesn't even have to see this. Just burn it like you usually do."

"I cannot ignore this injustice done to Noriko. Give me the petition. I intend to hunt down and incinerate its creator."

Saitama looked at the paper and felt a rush of relief. "It doesn't say who made it. Oh well. We should probably just stay here and wait for Nya-chan to come home. Why don't you finish going through the mail?" Though irritated, Genos obediently went back to the table and sat to resume his task of opening their letters. "By the way, would you mind explaining why my pillow smelled like Noriko's hair the other day?"

Genos lifted his gaze, meeting Saitama's eyes directly. He stared blankly for a long moment, unblinking, and finally the corner of his mouth lifted. The expression could only be described as one of satisfaction. "I apologize, Master Saitama. We needed to borrow it."

 **Shift P.O.V**

She was reaching for a sports drink at the same time as someone else and their hands bumped, making them both jump back a little. Noriko turned, expecting to find a nervous fan, but was pleasantly surprised to find Mumen Rider. "Oh…hey."

"N-Noriko? What brings you here?" He seemed to be looking her up and down, but it was hard to tell with his eyes hidden behind his goggles.

Feeling a little self-conscious about her nicked ear and fluffy tail, Noriko frowned and turned her gaze away. "Hn. Just grabbing a drink. What about you?"

"I was doing the same. The store clerk asked me to stop by because there was a suspicious person here earlier, but they left by the time I arrived." The man took a step closer to her, his expression turning from embarrassment to puzzlement. "So your ear…?"

"Oh…uh…I got in a fight with Speed o' Sound Sonic," she admitted.

"Oh? Ah! Wait, now I remember Koneko-san saying something about that when you asked me to watch her. She said that you were fighting a…" He seemed to struggle with the next word. "Well, she called him a perverted ninja."

Noriko snickered and reached back in for the drink, grabbing a second one for him. "That sounds about right. Here, let me buy your drink for you. I never had the chance to thank you for babysitting Koneko."

"I-it was no trouble!" he protested, following her to clerk.

"I know it was trouble. I saw the scratches she left on your arm." She slid the money to the clerk, who blushed and seemed to fixate completely on her fluffy tail. _Ugh. This is why I hate cold weather. My tail always gets like this. Well, at least Mumen Rider doesn't seem to be looking at it._

The two walked to the park and sat on a bench, enjoying how empty the area was. He accepted the drink from her, frowning slightly when he noticed the dried tear trail on her cheek. "S-so how have you been, Noriko? It's been a while since we talked. I was actually going to call Saitama later today. I saw that thing on the news; the Catman Scavenger. I worried that he might be trouble for you. Do you know him?"

The girl slouched a little and lowered her gaze to the bottle in her hands. "I…don't know for sure. You know, when I asked you to watch Koneko it was so we could investigate him. He didn't leave a trail or any sort of clue to his identity."

For a moment, the heroes sat together with only the sounds birds and the wind to break the otherwise peaceful atmosphere. "Are you alright?"

She could hear it in his voice and it made her hate herself. He was worried. The man was genuinely worried about her. _He can see it then, can't he? And I thought I was hiding it so well. Saitama has seen me this way before, but I didn't want other people to see me like this._ Noriko set her bottle aside and drew her knees to her chest, curling up in a ball on the bench. Fresh tears were forming in her eyes as she took a deep breath. "I-I'm not alright. I'm really not. But I can't let anyone know that. I don't want anyone to think I'm weak."

Mumen Rider awkwardly reached over to rest a hand on her shoulder. Immediately, her ears flattened in a silent and subconscious warning. Nevertheless, he kept his hand there. "I don't think you're weak. I'm sure that Genos and Saitama would never think of you as weak either."

"You don't…you don't _get_ it," she argued. "I can't tell you everything, but just take my word for it that I am weak. I know that I am. I've been trying to show everyone how strong I was, but it just feels like I'm breaking apart right now." She closed her eyes and was startled when she was pulled close against his side so that her head rested against his shoulder. "Mumen Rider? I…"

"Y-You're not my type either, remember? I'm just trying to be a friend. We are friends, aren't we? And friends let each other cry on them." He offered a kind smile that made her want to smile back. To be perfectly honest, he was used to seeing ordinary citizens this way. When he arrived on the scene of a monster attack or where a villain was attacking people, the citizens were usually frantic or crying. Seeing a fellow hero looking broken was a little too much. He was unsure of what he should do. "Er…Saitama and Genos know where you are, right?"

"…sort of…" Noriko rubbed at her eyes, grimacing when her chest began to feel tight. _I haven't let myself cry in front of someone in a while. I can't say that it feels nice. It makes me really feel like a weakling. If Genos saw me this way…I'm sure he would never let me out of his sight again. He might even try to talk me out of being a hero._ She remained in this position for several minutes; quietly crying and leaning against Mumen Rider's side.

When she finally felt confident that she was done crying, she pushed herself to sit upright. From the corner of her eye, she could see that he was a little relieved. "So…the suspicious person that was in the convenience store. Was it…?"

He watched her wipe the tears from her eyes and quickly lowered his gaze when she looked at him. "Um…yeah. It was him again. The clerk said that he was probably looking for you. Noriko, you _have_ told him that you're dating Genos, right?"

"I can't tell you how many times I've told him that," the girl replied. "I suppose you heard about the dog monster incident."

"I saw it on the news." The man awkwardly scratched the back of his neck, turning his head away from her. "I-it sort of looked like he was trying to _rescue_ you almost."

"…I didn't need to be rescued…" Despite her words, Noriko knew that she would have died if Sonic and Puri Puri Prisoner had not appeared. Worse, she knew that Genos would have seen her die and might have suffered the same fate. "You know, I really don't like creeps."

"I can understand that." He finally opened his drink bottle and took a tentative sip. Birds chirped in the tree branches above them, piercing the uncomfortable silence that had fallen. "This weather is cold for this early in the season."

She snickered and her tail curled behind her. "Yeah, I guess. Are we really going to talk about the weather now?"

"Well, I do have a question." It was something that had been bothering him for a while. Ever since the incident in the park, weeks before. "When we first started talking and we came here to this park, he attacked you." He saw her nod, appearing a little disinterested. "When he attacked, it didn't really seem like he was trying to hurt you. And when you fought him, it seemed like you were holding back. Like you were trying not to hurt him."

"So…your question is…?"

"How do you really feel about Speed o' Sound Sonic?"

Blood rushed to her cheeks and she bowed her head. The first things that came to mind were certain memories that were left best unmentioned. She began to tremble, biting her lower lip to keep from replying without thinking. _How do I feel about him? I hate him! But…I care about him. So what would you call that? How do I actually feel about Sonic?_


	40. Chapter 40

He was returning home empty-handed yet again. _Well not completely empty-handed._ His eyes went to the bag in his hand as he walked. Though his sweep of the city had yielded no results, he had made a few impulse purchases at the convenience store. Of course, by this point, the clerks there were all very unsettled by his presence in the store so they refused to actually take any money he tried to give them.

For the past few days, he had made it a habit to walk around the city in a casual search for her. Not that he knew what would happen if he did manage to find the girl. On one occasion he had seen a different catgirl and had considered trying to catch her to use as bait for Noriko, but she was walking with Saitama so he changed his mind. Though the challenge had been tempting, he could not risk going back to prison.

His gaze narrowed upon a couple moving down the sidewalk ahead of him. They were huddled together against the cold, holding hands with their fingers laced. He tilted his head and briefly thought about killing them both. They reminded him of what he had been robbed of. Again, his thoughts went to Noriko and he could feel the corners of his mouth pull back in an evil grin. _When I find her, I'm going to take out all of this anger on her. It's the only option. Who does she think she is? Does she think she's above me? Does she really think that she can just throw me aside for that cyborg?!_ Realizing that people were staring at him curiously, he covered his mouth and started to walk a little faster.

The thoughts of her were slowly fading from fierce vengeance to something else as he approached his building. He remembered fighting alongside her against the first rat monster and then the second. He remembered waking up beside her those mornings that she was in his hideout. It angered him a little that these thoughts made his heart race, but this anger was quickly replaced with a feeling of loss that left him frowning.

As soon as his door was open, he reached toward the light switch out of habit. He froze when his eyes met a figure seated on his bed across the room, their silhouette outlined by the setting sun's rays coming in through the window behind them. Clearly able to make out a pair of swords sheathed on the figure's back, as well as pointed feline ears on the top of their head, he smirked. Sonic set down his bag and closed the door behind him, squinting a little in the darkness to try to see more of her. "I thought you might come back on your own if I gave you time. So, what? Could you just not resist seeing me again or did you realize who the better man was? Can you even call him a man when he's mostly metal?"

Her right ear flicked and she tilted her head. "…awfully full of yourself…"

"I know that I'm right though." He turned on the light, revealing the girl sitting on his futon. She was dressed for warmth in jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, but the shirt itself hugged her chest and stomach pleasantly. "So what brings you here? Were you craving me?"

"Hn. I'm not here for whatever you're imagining. I'm here for _blood_." Noriko stood now and smirked at the man as she stepped toward him. "You…have no idea what you did. Do you? You're still looking at me like that."

"You really think that you stand a chance against me in a fight? Up until now, I've never fought you using the full extent of my abilities. What makes you think that you can beat me?" he taunted. Sonic's heart raced as he closed the space between them, grabbing her chin and forcing her head back a little. "Face it; this was just an excuse to get me alone, wasn't it? I see you didn't bring anyone with you. Do they know you're here?"

 **Shift P.O.V**

Her chest felt tight with guilt as color rushed to her cheeks. _I have to focus! He always does this, but I won't let him distract me today! I have to be confident or he'll never take me seriously!_ Baring her fangs, she released a low growl from the back of her throat. "I know your weakness."

The amusement in his eyes was almost mocking. "You think you know my weakness? Sorry to break it to you, but I don't have any weaknesses. Not like your boyfriend. How long until he breaks down again and needs repairs?"

" _I'm_ your weakness." She saw him raise an eyebrow and tore from his hold, jumping back. "You don't want to actually kill me so you'll never go full throttle in a fight with me. Isn't that right?"

Sonic's unsettling grin was swiftly taking form. "You think that means that I'll let you win? Besides, I know you can't kill me either. You care too much about me, don't you? When you were telling him about the bodies on the mountain, did you also tell him how much you care about me?"

"Shut up! I'm not going to let my judgement get clouded today, Sonic!" She saw his grin grow and was tempted to slice at his face with her swords. "Listen…I'm challenging you to a fight. As in _tonight_. As in _right now_."

"What do I get out of this? Do we each get something if we win?" Though he looked slightly disinterested, he could feel the excitement building. The thought of a fight with someone that could potentially prove a worthy adversary was almost too much to handle. He forced his grin to fade into a faint half-smile, not wanting her to know how eager he was to start.

She reached back, unsheathing both swords and taking on a fighting stance. "This isn't about prizes. This is about me taking out my anger and getting revenge for the time you stole from me when you kept me here!"

"You know you loved every minute of it." He made a quick movement and produced his katana. "Alright, if you don't want a prize then you won't get a prize. I, on the other hand, want something from you if I defeat you."

"What do you want? Or did you even have something in mind?" Her tail twitched in anticipation, adrenaline already flooding her veins. _I just want to get this started! I've been avoiding going back to the apartment because I wanted to do this! I have to know if I can actually hurt him without…feeling…_ _bad_ _. Not to mention, I still haven't gotten revenge for when he kidnapped me!_

Sonic seemed to think about it for a moment and shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't know. We'll see how I feel after I have you pinned under me."

Her eye twitched now and she shook her head. "…you're just… _unbelievable_ …"

"So we're starting now?"

"I guess so." Noriko braced herself for his first attack, anticipating shuriken. When she dodged to the side, she found herself instead dodging his shoulder nearly slamming into her chest. _What is he doing?!_ She twisted and lifted both swords in time to block a downward slash of his katana. Silently thanking Saitama for training her, she threw her weight forward in the hopes of making him fall. At the very least, she needed to put some distance between them. When her plan failed, she leapt back and dodged another strike of the katana with barely enough time.

A swift kick to her side sent her falling through the window and flying toward the ground below. She turned in the air to correct herself, landing on her feet as he landed close by. Noriko could see it in his eyes. He was taunting her. He was daring her to forfeit to him. She sprinted toward him, baring her fangs as electricity rang along her blades. _If I'm doing this, I have to go all out! I have to hurt him!_ She slashed at him without much thought and he dodged each swipe of her swords, watching her all the while with his evil grin in place.

"Impressive. You've gotten a lot faster than the first time we fought. Too bad it's still not enough." He disappeared from in front of her to reappear behind her. Gripping the back of her neck, he moved close so his chest pressed against her back and his groin pushed against her bottom. "If I really wanted to kill you, I could. You know that, don't you? Was this just a ploy to get my attention? Is that why you were making out with him right in front of me before?"

"D-do you even know how _ridiculous_ you sound?!" She shifted as if to hit him between the legs and he pulled away, letting her turn toward him and block his next attack. The katana sent up sparks as it hit her electrically charge swords, nearly blinding them both for a second. Noriko jumped back, narrowing her eyes on him as he smirked. "I'm not going to back down, you know! It doesn't matter what you say or do, I'm going to do this!" Noriko shouted.

"And just what are you trying to prove by doing this? Is it really about revenge or is it about something else?" He moved back as she slashed at him again, wary of the sparks coming off of her blades. Dodging her attacks had felt easy at first, but the electricity was now adding an extra element of danger. If one actually connected with him, it could cause serious damage.

"Enough talking! I'm sick of hearing your voice! If this is a fight, then why are we just standing around talking like this?!" she snarled.

"You know you love the sound of my voice. Almost as much as I love the sound of yours when you're moaning my name," he taunted. "But I agree. Enough talking."

When he rushed toward her, she was barely able to keep up with his movements. She lifted both swords just in time to stop him from decapitating her and then spun to block a second attack when he shifted behind her. His attacks were rapid and he seemed to switch between shuriken and his katana, making it difficult to block every attack. She could feel small cuts opening on her arms, chest, and legs. They stung, but she forced herself to ignore them as she focused her attention solely on Sonic. Everything faded into the background; the cold wind blowing through her hair, the very alarmed Mumen Rider watching the fight take place from a distance down the road, and even the citizens walking up and down the street.

The streetlights were coming on now as she continued to try to block his attacks, searching for an opening. When she finally saw one, she closed her eyes and thrust her right sword forward. _I don't…want to hurt him_ , she realized when she opened her eyes to find him gone. _I can't hurt him. Why?! Why can't I hurt this jerk?_ Noriko felt his warmth break on the side of her neck as a cold blade pressed against her throat.

"I think it's obvious who's going to win this. You haven't even been able to land a hit on me," Sonic teased. "So why don't you be a good girl and forfeit now while you're still standing?"

Summoning all of her courage, she tore from his hold. Blood leaked down the side of her neck, but thankfully her throat had been spared when she twisted away from him. Facing the man, she braced herself for another attack. None came. He simply stood there, watching her. "…you think you can win when I'm this determined…?" Her tail shifted back and forth behind her as she looked him up and down. True, she had not managed to land a hit on him. She was unsure of whether she could or not.

"Do you think you're the only one that's determined to win this?" Sonic met her gaze and slowly licked his lips. "When I have you on your knees again, I think I'll-" He was pleasantly cut off when she rushed forth with a murderous gleam in her eyes and a blush on her cheeks.

"Don't talk to me that way in front of citizens!" she roared, slashing at him.

He avoided each attack, watching her with mirth as she futilely tried to hit him. "I'll give you one last chance to forfeit before I really do something you'll regret."

"You…really think I'll give up _now_?!" Her blade clashed against his, her body pressing close until her chest just barely brushed against his. It was just enough of a distraction to quickly shove her other blade forward. The sharp edge bit into his right upper arm and sliced into it.

His grey eyes widened as he felt hot blood run down to his elbow, heard the quiet drip of his blood onto the sidewalk. Turning his head, he saw the wound. It was deep, but not too deep. It had cut less than two inches into him. Nonetheless, the fact that she had actually injured him left him feeling a mixture of emotions. He felt betrayed, disheartened, angered, but above all else he felt a rush of excitement. She had injured him. She was dangerous. Though, he noted that the electricity on that sword had been deactivated before the attack. So it was quite apparent that she did still care about him. "Well done. You managed to land _one_ hit. Whereas, I've cut you _how_ many times?"

"I'm pretty sure a _deep_ cut is more significant than several _shallow_ ones," she retorted. Leaping back and away from him, she watched his blood ooze out of the wound with a pang of guilt. Like Sonic, she was feeling a mixture of emotions. Pride and pain. She was proud to have actually landed an attack, but at the same time she despaired in having hurt him. "So are you ready to admit defeat?"

"You think something like _this_ will make me surrender? It's just a minor wound. No big deal. I've been hurt worse than this. Besides, I would never let something this small keep from getting what I want!" This time when he rushed at her, it was with a plan to incapacitate the girl. He lifted his katana and sent a handful of shuriken in her direction, forcing her to try to dodge both. When he came up behind her with the intent to restrain her, Noriko's tail twitched at the last second. A shuriken pierced deeply into it and she screamed. He swore and froze in place, watching her frantically try to remove the piece of metal.

Tears of pain blurred her vision as she tried to get the weapon out of her skin, her fingers getting nicked on the sharp edges. Sobs tore through her at the intense pain racing along the length of her tail. _Damn it! Damn it, damn it! Everyone is seeing this right now! But I can't keep it together! That's one of the most sensitive parts of my body! Damn it!_

Sonic stared down at her for a moment and then glanced toward the crowd of people watching them. His first instinct when he knew she was in pain was to try to help her, but with so many people watching it would look strange. "Looks like I win after all."

"Ngh! I'm going to _kill_ you for this, you perverted jerk!"

"What did you call me?! Just who do you think you are anyway? You think you're too good for me? You thought you could just toss me aside and go running back to him?" He leaned down, ignoring her tears as he met her eyes. "I'm yours. And you're mine. So no matter what you do, you should know that you'll always be mine and I'll always find you."

Her eyes widened when he pressed his lips against her, in front of the crowd of people. She sank her fangs into his lip until he pulled away, leaving her teeth bloody. He left her with a smirk and sprinted out of sight down the sidewalk. _What about that prize he was so keen to get?_ With pain, anger, and disappointment coursing through her veins, Noriko turned away from the direction that Sonic had gone in. The crowd was snapping pictures of her on their phones, but she ignored them and made her way to Mumen Rider. He walked with her a few blocks until she passed out from the pain. At this point, he carefully lifted her in his arms and carried her back to her apartment.


	41. Chapter 41

NeonHorizon: I thought I should post my publishing schedule. These are the days that I always try to put up a new chapter: Sunday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. If I miss a day, I'll usually try to make it up on Monday. October 27th to November 3rd 2016 are days that will not have new chapters because I have mischievous business to attend to that will require my full attention.

* * *

Noriko shivered beneath an intense gaze. She was able to feel it even as she slowly came out of her pain-induced slumber and when she opened her eyes a little, she was not surprised by what she saw. The girl was lying on her back on the floor, her wounds already cleaned and bandaged, with Genos looming over her.

When he saw that she was awake, he immediately leaned down further to grip both of her shoulders. "I told you to never be alone with him again. Why would you deliberately seek him out?"

"I-I challenged him to a fight," she protested. "It's not like anything-!"

"Mumen Rider brought you back and said that that pervert kissed you. Was that his blood on your lips?"

"…I don't know why you would think that you need to worry…" Her heart was racing, her body trembling in his hold. "Where's Saitama?"

"I'm over here," he called from across the table. "Maybe let her put a shirt on, Genos."

She was released and it was then that she noticed that her torso was covered by only her bra and some bandages. With her face turning pink, she pulled a random tank top from her bag and put it on. "Hn…Genos, why do you have a problem with me fighting Sonic on my own? I would think that taking off my clothes in front of another guy would be a bigger concern."

He gave a blunt look of confusion. "I trust Master Saitama. Do you not trust him?"

"You don't trust me?"

"Er…it's not that. I mean…hn." She knew it was a losing argument so Noriko left them for the kitchen, ignoring the stare that she felt fixed upon her. _He's going to watch me more closely now. Damn it. I'll never get my revenge at this rate._ Her tail flicked back and forth as she set about planning her meal, trying to distract herself from her embarrassment. _I had to be carried here by Mumen Rider because I was in so much pain that I passed out. How could I be so weak?_

"What are you making?"

She jumped a little at Saitama's abrupt appearance beside her. "Ah…j-just some fried rice. Did you both eat already?"

"We were waiting for your return," Genos stated as he moved to the computer.

"If you don't mind fried rice, I can make enough for all of us."

"Sounds good." Saitama lingered at her side, watching her measure out the rice into the rice cooker. "So how did you do? Mumen Rider said you were okay until your tail was hit."

Noriko half-smiled. "I actually did pretty well. I managed to avoid the worst of his attacks and I cut his arm pretty deep."

"Cool. At least you got that much." He smiled and patted her on the back. "I guess it's good that you wanted to start strength training. You have some potential."

"Just _some_?" She raised an eyebrow at him, wondering why his hand was still on her back. _That's a little weird. And what is he staring at?_

"I mean, your main thing is being durable. So you can take a lot of hits and it won't hurt you as much as it would hurt a normal person." Saitama was very tempted to mention that most girls would not be able to handle romantic situations with a cyborg, but fought that temptation.

She shrugged. "Yeah, but I still feel pain."

"Yeah, but it's dulled, isn't it? Like when I saw all those bruises on your hips. You didn't even seem to feel those." He saw her face turning red and his smile grew a little. "Cute."

"Uh…what? Did you say something just now? It was really quiet."

"No, nothing." He lowered his gaze as she started cutting up some carrots, staring at the spot just above her tail's base. What she had failed to realize was that she was still lacking pants. Worse than her not noticing was that Genos seemed to have no problem with his mentor getting close to her while she was in such a state. She was still wearing panties, but that did nothing to make this less awkward. "So did Sonic say anything to you when you fought him?"

"Not really." Noriko was not about to repeat some of the lewd things that had been said. She was certain that enough onlookers had heard that there would soon be rumors about her and the ninja. _I just wish I could forget about him, but it's like every time I see him…_ There was a faint, strange sensation radiating just above the base of her tail. Before she could wonder what it was, she felt three warm fingertips press against the soft skin there and rub gently. Her back arched against her will and a loud sound left her that could only be described as a yowl crossed with a moan. There was an instant sensation of heat and tingly in her lower half as her tail shifted to one side. She covered her mouth with a hand, bowing her head to try to hide her red cheeks. _What was that?! What is this feeling? It feels so good~ But it's just my lower back!_

"Huh. I didn't think it would actually work."

"Wh-what are you doing?! S-Saitama~"

"Oh. Oops." He pulled his hand away and rubbed the back of his neck. Genos was now staring at them both. "I read online that cats lift their butts when you pet them above the tail. You guys know what I'm talking about. Anyway, I read that girl cats do it because it's linked to mating or something. I didn't think it would actually work if I did that."

Noriko was trembling now, biting her bottom lip. "…d-don't…ever do that again…please…" she murmured, not willing to even attempt to meet his gaze.

"Okay. Sorry about that, Nya-chan."

"Can you…just let me know when the rice is done?" She went into the bathroom and locked the door. Settling on the floor across the small room, the girl pulled her knees to her chest. _Cat. I'm just a cat, aren't I? No! Now isn't the time to be having an identity crisis! I need to just think._ Her eyes slid closed and she took a deep breath. The sound of Saitama talking in the kitchen assured her that he had not followed her. _I know he didn't mean anything by it, but it just felt weird. It's so embarrassing that…I reacted to that like a cat._

There was a quiet knock at the door. "Noriko."

"I just want to be alone. Please."

"Master Saitama has gone." Genos paused, listening closely for sounds of her moving to open the door. She was not moving. "Open the door, Noriko."

"I want to be alone," she repeated. "C-can you just leave me alone for now? I'll come out when I'm ready and right now…I'm not ready, alright?" The catgirl jumped a little when the door was forced open and tucked her face into her knees. This, of course, did not hide her from his view and soon she found herself being lifted into the air. Her body was pinned against the wall, a pair of fierce gold and black eyes staring down into her green ones. Forcing a scowl onto her face to try to appear intimidating, she growled. "I said-!"

"I told you that I did not want you to be alone with that pervert again," he said in a dark, dangerous tone. "You went against my word."

"I wanted my revenge."

"I wanted you to stay away from him. If you wanted revenge, you should have told me and I would have gone with you." He leaned in closer, putting his face inches from hers. "Do you know what it is like to worry about someone and then find out that they went to fight an opponent with someone else as their backup? I would have helped you if you had asked me. If I had known that you were going to do that, I would have gone with you and protected you."

"I-I'm sorry, alright? I am. I regret going off to fight Sonic." Noriko was being completely truthful. _If I hadn't challenged Sonic, I wouldn't have passed out from pain. I wouldn't have been injured. I wouldn't have embarrassed myself so much._

"Sorry is not enough," Genos stated. He pulled her legs up and around his waist, her arms wrapping around his neck quickly to hold herself up. The blonde moved away from the bathroom and into the other room, seating himself against the wall furthest from the apartment door. He could feel her warm cheek pressed to the side of his neck, her body trembling with fear and anticipation. "I can think of many reasons to punish you, Noriko."

She hated that the sound of his voice, even with this dangerous tone, made her start to grow wet. "I…I'm sorry, Genos…"

"You moaned Master Saitama's name." His right hand pressed against her lower back, just shy of that sensitive spot his mentor had pointed out.

"I-I didn't mean for it to-!" Her words were interrupted by a low moan leaving her lips as he rubbed a gently circle over the spot above her tail. The girl's back arched and she ground her lower half against his groin. "Genos~"

He moved his left hand along to her front, pushing it between them and stopping her from grinding on him again. He could feel the moisture through her panties. Satisfied, he pushed his fingertips against her and heard her gasp. Her hips snapped forward against his hand, rubbing and trying to gain more friction. "You would not moan his name because you want him to be inside of you." She shook her head, locks of violet hair falling over her eyes. "You want me to be inside of you, Noriko." She nodded, her nails digging through his shirt and pressing against the hard metal of his back. The blonde shifted her slightly so her upper half leaned fully against his chest and her lower half was in the air. His fingers slipped past the divider of her panties and rubbed her warm, wet flesh.

"Ngh~ I-I can't…take too much teasing, Genos!"

"This is your punishment so you will take it." With no warning, he forced her hips down so her warmth enveloped two of his fingers. She threw her head back, moaning loudly as he worked his digits in and out of her at a fast pace. "You would not want Master Saitama to do this with you."

"N-no! Just…just you!" Noriko felt the hand on her back begin to rub slower, the action becoming more sensual. "Aaaah~"

Genos paused as he felt her lips press against the side of his neck. She was kissing the cold metal, but he could feel it and it made him release a quiet groan. Noriko's hands wandered from his back and ran along his chest to the front of his pants. "I did not say-"

She pulled away from his neck and bared her fangs. Her cheeks were burning pink, green eyes glazed over with lust. "You're _not_ …going to get away with torturing me like this. I don't care what you say," she snarled. Her hands worked his pants open and she smirked. "I'm not…" She was distracted when her fingers met warm metal. A look down showed a metal extension protruding from his groin, shaped like a man's member. She tilted her head and tentatively ran her fingertips along it. His entire body seemed to stiffen.

"I am in control." He shifted both hands to her hips and held tightly. Meeting her mischievous gaze with a stern one, he smirked. "Have I made my point clear?"

Her feline ears drew back and she frowned, but nodded. "The next time I want to fight, I'll ask you to come with me," she replied. Moving closer, she pressed her lips to his in a kiss that started as soft and soon escalated to fiery. His hand rubbed along the area above her tail as she toyed with his metal cock, feeling the slight ridges and the warmth radiating from it. "I-is this okay?"

"Yes, but I would like something more." The blonde's right hand moved between her legs and pushed her panties aside before thrusting his hips up sharply. She threw her head back, moaning as he began to pound his member into her warm, wet core. He watched this reaction and leaned up, kissing along her throat. "This is what you wanted, correct?"

"Y-yes~" Noriko's tail flicked side to side as she felt his fingers trail up and down her spine. The sensation of his hard cock striking deep inside of her was almost too much to handle. Each thrust into her drove the girl closer and closer to her climax. She felt it rapidly approaching and quickly leaned down, pressing her lips against the side of his neck to try to muffle the sound of her moans. Her lips part and her fangs scraped over the metal, her hands pressing hard against his back. "Genos~"

 **Shift P.O.V**

The city seemed more desolate at night. No one wanted to be out in the dark in a place where monster attacks were so common. Not that he normally would have cared. On this night, he did feel a certain dislike for the small amount of people outside. He sighed a little and looked up at the stars. _I don't know if I want to go back. I know I have to though; it's my apartment._ Remembering the eager way that Genos had tried to convince him to go out, he rolled his eyes. He knew what they were doing right at that moment. _I just hope they don't use my pillow again. That was a little too much._ He shivered, remembering the way he had woken up to realize that his pillow smelled like Noriko's hair a few days prior.

Up ahead was the more populated area of the city. Even this section seemed rather dead for being so early in the evening. Saitama passed an electronics store and stopped briefly to look at the news coverage of Noriko's fight with Sonic. Watching her take the cuts without blinking left him feeling a little proud. After all, he had been training her. When the fight seemed to be dying down, with the girl crying and bleeding from her tail, he saw what he knew would make Genos rage. Sonic seemed to say something to her. Something that obviously upset her. The ninja kissed her and it made Saitama tilt his head. _So is he serious about her? That doesn't look like the first time he's kissed her. It looks like he's done it before._

There was a ringtone suddenly playing from his sweatshirt pocket and he pulled out the rat monster's phone. He had forgotten that he put it there before setting off for his walk, just in case Kenta tried to contact them. "What's up?"

"You're not Hinyako. Where is she?"

"Uh…she's with Genos. What do you need?" Saitama casually glanced over his shoulder, sensing that he was being watched. He immediately saw the outline of the ninja on the roof several hundred feet away, but chose to ignore him.

A slight pause followed the hero's words. "You do realize that she's cheating on him, don't you? Or are you both really that dense?" Kenta taunted. "I have photographic proof. I'll send a picture to the phone that you stole from my minion. See for yourself that she's cheating on the cyborg with that assassin."

Saitama heard the phone beep and pulled it away from his ear to look at the screen. Seeing so much exposed skin caused an immediate and subconscious biological reaction in him. "You're sending me a picture of Nya-chan in chains with that creep on top of her. Big deal."

"I will prove it to you. It would be in your best interest to kick her out of your apartment and never speak to that girl again. I'm sure the cyborg will agree when he receives his picture."


	42. Chapter 42

Saitama paused in the road and looked over his shoulder. He could see the ninja clearly, even if Sonic thought that he had hidden himself well in the shadows. The bald hero had put away the rat monster's cellphone after hanging up on Kenta and was slowly making his way back home. When he stopped, he was still a few blocks away. "Why are you following me anyway? Didn't you hear what I said? She's with Genos."

"You make it sound like I should care."

He turned around and sure enough, the other man was now standing directly in front of him. Scratching the back of his head, he sighed. "You know, I thought it was cute at first, but now it's just annoying. Nya-chan isn't going to leave him. I'm pretty sure you know that. So why don't you just give up?"

"Well I'm sorry you don't find me entertaining anymore. And do you really think that hearing _you_ say that is going to make me give up?"

"You really don't get it, do you? Anyway, you should go home. That's what I'm doing. It's cold out here." Saitama turned and started down the street again. He knew that he was still being followed. No matter how hard he tried, Sonic would never be able to stealthily track him. "I'm not in the mood for this right now," he stated bluntly. "Go home."

A cold wind blew over his scalp and he frowned. _I really don't want to go back to the apartment with this guy following me. I mean, I'm pretty sure he won't try to get in, but I don't like the thought of him hanging around the building._ Rather than go straight home, he decided to stall. He walked for as long as he could and even stopped in the convenience store, but eventually found himself standing in front of the apartment building. "You know, you really hurt her. If you like her, maybe consider that the next time you think about fighting her."

"That was her fault. She moved into the path of the shuriken."

"Are you saying that all of those other cuts were accidents, too? Because she was pretty banged up when Mumen Rider brought her home," Saitama argued. "Listen. I don't care if you have a crush on her. But when you hurt her like that, it really irritates me. So why don't you just find something else to do? Try getting a hobby. Just remember that if you hurt her again, I'm going to make it my job to get you back. Now for the last time. Go home."

 **Shift P.O.V.**

The morning air felt cold against her skin, but it was just what she needed to clear her head. Exhaling a cloud of steam, Noriko tilted her head back to look at the cloudy sky above. A few days had passed since her fight with Sonic. Her wounds still ached, her tail stinging a bit when she removed the bandage. _It doesn't look too bad though_ , she thought as she examined the wound. _Where am I going?_

She moved down the street, eyes skimming over the buildings to either side of her. Though she was not entirely sure what she was expecting, she suspected that perhaps she was subconsciously looking for Sonic. _That creep. I might have been able to beat him, but he kept saying those things…distracting me. I probably could have dodged the shuriken if he would have just kept quiet._ The catgirl yawned and stretched her arms over her head, delighting in the warm sunlight that washed over her.

The girl's ears perked forward at the sound of footsteps up ahead and around a corner. Frowning, she jogged along the side of the building to a narrow alley and ducked into it. _Who would be walking around the ghost town part of the city this early in the morning? I know people have started coming here more often, but it's way too early for this!_

"No, _you_ listen. It doesn't make sense to me. If you had one already, why make another? No, I don't get it. Obviously." Saitama's voice echoed down the empty street.

Noriko crouched behind an old crate, her ears drawn back and her tail twitching in curiosity. When she had left the apartment that morning, he had been missing and Genos had been doing chores. She had assumed that Saitama went out to run an errand. _So who is he talking to? I don't hear another voice. He must be on a phone. Wait…does he own a cellphone?_

"I mean, I disagree. Yeah; it's a matter of opinion. No, let me tell you why."

She moved a little closer to the opening of the alley, nervously biting at her thumbnail. _He sounds really serious. Who is he talking to? What are they talking about? It sounds like some kind of argument…?_ Noriko's heart raced as she peered around the edge of the crate.

"Girls with bigger breasts are better because when you hug them, it's really soft."

Her face turned red and she slid down the brick wall at her side. _Seriously?!_ She waited until his voice faded into the distance before venturing out into the street again. A quick glance up and down the road showed that he was quite far from the alley. _Who was he talking to anyway? And why are they talking about…?_ She shook her head and began to run down the sidewalk. There was no doubt that he heard her running away, but he seemed preoccupied with his bizarre argument.

Only when she reached the edge of the abandoned portion did she slow to a walk. Noriko grimaced at the looks she received from the citizens walking up and down the normal sidewalks. _I know I look bad. I'm still healing and now I probably look kind of messed up._ She bowed her head and tried not to look at anyone as she tried to decide where she was going. The thought of going to the convenience store crossed her mind, but quickly decided against it. _I didn't mean to, but I did cause them a lot of problems when Sonic was going there every day. What should I do?_

"Whoa! It's her! It's really her! It's Samurai Catgirl-sama! I can't believe it!"

"Shush! She's going to notice us if you freak out like that, you creepy otaku!"

She looked over her shoulder at the sound of the nasally voices and raised an eyebrow. Walking behind her at a slow pace were two rat monsters. One was wearing thick-framed glasses and a button-up shirt while the other wore a fedora and t-shirt with cartoon characters on it. People were quickly moving away from the two, but the monsters seemed almost oblivious to the way the humans reacted. She saw the one with glasses begin to rummage in his backpack and draw forth a camera. _They look like they're just sightseeing. But is that possible for mutated rat monsters? I really don't want to fight them here where citizens could be hurt._

"Samurai Catgirl-sama looks so much cooler in real life! Oh! Oh no! Is her tail injured?!"

"You know she got hurt in that fight with that ninja! She's probably looking for him right now! We should just keep our distance and get back to what we were doing!"

At this, she decided to take action. Noriko turned around, met their eyes directly, and made her way through the crowded sidewalk. When she reached them, she realized that they were quite a bit smaller than the rat monsters she had previously faced. They were just a little shorter than Saitama. "Hn…you know a cat has excellent hearing. I could hear you from a block away. So did you need something or are you on your way out of the city? I don't want to have to send you back to whatever _monster hovel_ you came from."

The monster with glasses gaped. "She's so cool! Wow! You sound so tough when you talk like that! Is that how you face every monster?!"

The other one pushed him aside to step closer to her. "What he means is, can we get an autograph and a picture with you? The rest of the fan club would be so jealous!"

She tilted her head. "Fan club? So…you're not here to fight me? You weren't sent by Kenta to collect me dead or alive?"

"Kenta-sensei sent us on an errand, but we're not here for you. We were sent for supplies." The first rat monster pushed up his glasses and squinted his dark eyes. "Wow! Your chest really is a C-cup, huh?" Even through his fur, it was obvious that he was blushing.

"We've been part of your fan club through the Hero Association for a while now," the other one explained. "Kenta-sensei showed us a clip of you fighting a huge group of bad guys and it was so cool! So we got memberships using fake names and pictures of human guys. I'm NEET Rat and this is Otaku Rat."

"It's so cool to meet you!" the other one exclaimed. "I still can't believe it! I mean, I knew there was a slight chance since we were going through City Z, but-!"

"Wait. Your boyfriend isn't around, is he? Or that ninja?" The hat-wearing rat glanced around and sighed in relief when he realized that she was alone. "They're scary."

"S-so could we get an autograph and a photo?" Otaku asked, dark eyes full of hope.

"I guess so." She frowned and signed scraps of paper that they gave her before posing with each of them for a picture on their cellphones. "You really aren't here to fight me?"

The two exchanged worried glances. "Of course not! We wouldn't stand a chance!"

"It's the dog monsters you need to be afraid of! Them and…him _."_

"What do you mean 'him'? Catman Scavenger?" Noriko could feel her heart race at the thought of facing the mysterious catperson. She had yet to even see him in person, relying only on the news and what Saitama told her.

NEET Rat frowned and his whiskers twitched. "Just be careful of him, alright?" He began to walk away, looking a bit forlorn.

Otaku Rat moved to follow him, but paused. "Um…please be careful of Rager Rat, too. Okay? We panicked bad enough when we watched you fight Speed o' Sound Sonic on the news the other day. We thought he might really hurt you and when we saw your poor tail get stabbed, I almost lost it! Just please be careful of Rager Rat! If you died, we wouldn't know what to do!"

"Stop talking! Do you want Kenta-sensei to get pissed off at us, you twit?!"

Noriko watched them go and frowned to herself. _Rager Rat sounds pretty dangerous, even without the ominous warning. Obviously, Kenta is going to send that thing after me. But when? I don't really want to be caught off-guard._ She was mildly comforted by the weight of her swords on her back. Moving down the sidewalk once more, she sighed. This added stress was making her stomach hurt.

"Hey, there you are! I was wondering where you wandered off to, Nya-chan," Saitama greeted her, suddenly walking alongside the girl.

She jumped a little, but scolded herself for it. "Hn…what do you mean?"

"I mean, that was you in that alley earlier, right?"

"Yeah." The girl glanced over at him and felt her heart begin to race. _What if he saw me just now? Talking to those rat monsters and taking photos with them? What would he think? Will he tell Genos? What will Genos think? Will Genos kill them?_

"So those monsters were fans of yours? That's pretty cool. I wish I had fans like that."

"N-not really. It's actually kind of annoying to have fans," she admitted.

"Speaking of fans, did you see that petition that Genos' fan club sent you? Isn't that ridiculous? I mean, that's not how petitions work. You can't just sign something and make stuff happen."

Noriko shrugged. "I guess…that's just what they think. It's not like I would break up with him over a stupid piece of paper."

They walked in silence for a moment, both heroes seemingly lost in their own thoughts. She was still wondering who he had been talking to earlier. Meanwhile, Saitama quickly decided to just voice his thoughts. "Hey, so we need to talk. You remember how Genos' phone got destroyed yesterday?"

"Hn…I remember you throwing it and seeing it shatter," she stated.

"I had a reason!" he protested. "You remember when you came home from your fight with Sonic and I left? Well while I was out, I got a call on that one rat monster's phone. And a picture." He brought up the photo on the cellphone that he pulled from his pocket. "Kenta said he was going to send it to Genos and I didn't want that to happen so-"

Her face turned bright red at the image. It had been taken while she was in Sonic's hideout and depicted her in a state of undress with Sonic on top of her. _Damn it!_ She began to tremble with a terrible blend of rage and nervousness. "S-Saitama, this…"

"Yeah, I know. What's with this picture?" He looked at the image and snickered. "I mean, it looks like you guys are actually together in this. That's some pretty good picture altering, but anyone with a brain could tell it's fake."

Not sure if he was joking or not, Noriko sighed and nodded. "Yeah…pretty crazy, huh?"

"Crazy. I know you better than that. Right, Nya-chan?"

She glanced over and saw that he was wearing his usual deadpan expression as he studied the image more closely. _I really can't tell if he's messing with me or not. Does he know that it really happened and he's just trying to get me to confess or does he really think it's a fake?_ Nervously biting her thumbnail, Noriko grimaced. "Could you…delete that? Please?"

"Why?" The look he wore was one of very slight surprise.

"I mean…it's embarrassing. Fake or not. So just delete it. Please."

He frowned, but seemed to be considering her words. "Alright, but on one condition."

"Hn…what is it?" She was reluctant to ask, already imagining all sorts of ridiculous requests that he might make. _Maybe he'll just want rice cakes or something._

"If I tell you, you probably won't agree to it," Saitama said nonchalantly.

Her tail began to shift in irritation. "Then pick a different condition."

"I don't want a different one. I want something in particular, but I know you won't agree to it. You're going to say 'no' so I'll just save you the trouble and not tell you what it was."

Noriko's ears flattened now and a low growl started to form at the back of her throat. "Saitama, do you know how annoying-?"

"Master Saitama, there you are. I was searching the city for you and Noriko." Genos saw the bald hero fumble with the cellphone and nearly drop it before shoving it into his pocket. "Master, is something wrong? Did that creep call the phone again?"

Saitama rubbed the back of his neck a bit awkwardly and looked away. "Well, yeah. He did. But he didn't really say anything important."

"Hn…I met two rat monsters that warned me about a monster called Rager Rat," Noriko finally said. "That seems pretty important." She saw Genos narrow his eyes and frowned. "No. I don't want help fighting it when it shows up. I don't think it's here yet, either."

"You saw rat monsters, but you did not fight with them?" the blonde questioned.

"They were sightseeing," she replied simply. "And I guess they were part of my fan club also. Speaking of which…why is there a mob of angry-looking girls coming this way?" She was looking past Genos at a very large group of woman ranging in age from middle school to middle age coming their way down the street.


	43. Chapter 43

The confrontation with the Genos fan club could have been bloody. The fans seemed to want it to be bloody. Some of them came armed. Noriko stood for a short time, listening to their insults and threats. When one girl threw a glass bottle at her head, she swiftly leapt upon the girl and pressed a hand against her throat. "Listen, okay? Because I won't say this more than once…are you listening? I am not some _weak-willed_ little girl that will let others dictate her life. Just because you signed a paper does not mean that I need to do what you say. Do you understand? Do _all_ of you understand?!" She turned to glare at the rest of the group.

"Whoa. Nya-chan the badass," Saitama remarked.

"Noriko, you should refrain from hurting a citizen," Genos pointed out.

"I'm not hurting her." The catgirl's sharp green eyes narrowed upon the girl's dark ones. "I'm not hurting you, am I?" The girl beneath her shook her head vehemently. "Because you would say something if I was hurting you. But I'm not. Am I?" Again, she shook her head. Noriko leaned back on the girl's waist and smirked. "Good. So no one's hurt here. Everyone's fine. And what are you going to do now?"

"I-I'm going to go home…" the girl muttered, trembling violently.

"You are? Well, if you _insist_." She stood and wiped her hands on the legs of her jeans. When Noriko looked to her companions, she saw that they were staring. "Wh-what? I wanted to make the message clear."

Saitama smiled. "Wow, Genos. Must be nice to have so many girls fighting over you. I didn't think Nya-chan would ever do something like that."

She frowned, ignoring the way Genos continued to stare. "I-I just told you! I just wanted to give them a little scare!" she protested. The group was quickly dispersing, frightened by her abrupt outburst. _I don't even care if I lose fans over this. I don't care if I lose a rank in the Hero Association. I just couldn't take any more of their taunting._

The bald hero patted her on the back, eyes shining with amusement. "That was intense, Nya-chan. I didn't think anything could get under your skin like that."

"Hn…I just didn't want them to keep bothering me."

"Noriko, by taking action against them you might have made them angrier." Genos looked toward the group of retreating fans and frowned. He began to wonder what might have happened if Noriko had been carrying her swords. If she had attacked the girl with a blade, he would have been forced to stop her. The thought of fighting her brought forth bad memories of their sparring sessions.

The three started walking back to the apartment with Noriko silently brooding between the two men. _It's not like I meant to lose control like that, but when that bottle almost hit me…I just snapped. Maybe it's all of this stress piling up. What if it's making me crazy?_ She settled in her usual spot on the floor when they arrived back at the apartment.

Saitama sat nearby and turned on an anime, hoping to calm her down. He had seen her fight in a frenzied state, but that had been against Genos. There had been no danger to her opponent. Seeing her attack a defenseless citizen made him worry a little. After all, she did have some feline instincts and from what he knew, cats were sadistic when it came to prey. He cautiously reached over to pet behind her right ear and was relieved to hear her purr. "You okay?" The man got his answer when her cheek rubbed against his hand. "Don't worry about it. They were harassing you. A person can only take so much, right?"

"Noriko, what would you have done if you had your swords with you?"

She shifted her eyes to Genos and slouched. "I wouldn't have killed her. You should know that. Do you really think that I would try to kill an innocent person?" To her surprise, he sat beside her and drew her close against his side.

"I know that the human part of you would not want to hurt an innocent person, but the cat part of you is different. A cat's hunting instinct-"

"Hey, how about we just talk about something else?" Saitama interrupted. "What was that you were saying about those rat monsters?"

"Hn. They were part of my fan club, I guess." Noriko's feline ears flattened, her tail drooping at her side. She was thinking back to what she had said before. _I have killed innocent people. That time on the mountain, when I had to help Sonic. I'm glad that Genos didn't bring that up, but it still makes me feel awful when I think about it._

"That's pretty cool. You have rat monster fans. Kind of weird though since you fight rat monsters. Did they want an autograph?"

The rest of the day went without incident, though Noriko spent most of the time worrying over when the next rat monster would appear. She woke the next morning to find Genos gone. Sitting up, the girl ran her fingers through her long purple hair and sighed. There was a note sitting next to her, stating that he had gone to fight a monster. _Great…huh?_ She blinked, realizing that Saitama was sitting just a short distance away. "Uh…were you awake when he left?" Noriko scratched at her ear, frowning.

"Yeah. I told him I could just tell you where he went."

"Hn. He sure likes fighting monsters." She stretched her arms over her head and yawned, her tail flicking back and forth. "So…did you already have breakfast?"

"Nope. I know you like cooking," he said with a dopey smile.

The catgirl scowled when she realized that she was still wearing what she slept in; a black tank top and panties. With a sigh, she started rummaging in her bag for a clean shirt. A sharp yelp escaped her when a sweatshirt landed over her head. "S-Saitama, what-?!"

"You were looking for a shirt, right? Just use that."

She pulled it off of her head and examined it with a frown. It was his 'oppai' sweatshirt that he seemed to be so fond of. "Hn. I don't think so."

"I just washed it," he argued. "It's not like there's something wrong with it."

 _No, but it's weird for a girl to wear something like this._ Not about to keep the argument going, Noriko pulled it on over her tank top. It reached to just below her thighs, efficiently covering her panties and hiding them from sight. "I guess I could wear it, but don't laugh at me."

He glanced over from the television, watching her walk to the kitchen. "Why would I laugh? You look cute in that."

"I look ridiculous." She stepped into the kitchen and looked around, trying to decide what to cook _. Omelet with rice? Or I could do something else, I guess. I wish Genos was still here._ Collecting some ingredients, she settled on omelets. "You know…it's like he can't refuse a request from the Hero Association."

"You've never turned down a request, have you?"

"No, but I don't just disappear like he does." Noriko frowned, trying not to sound angry. _It's just frustrating to wake up to find him gone like this. He left a note, but…I worry about him. I know he's a cyborg so he doesn't get hurt as easily, but still!_ She jumped a little, feeling a hand on her back. "Hn. Don't sneak up on me like that, Saitama."

"What are you making?" He leaned over the pan and smiled. "That looks good."

"I make this all the time. It's nothing special. So do you have plans today?"

"I'm visiting Koneko later and we're going to King's to play some games. What? You want to go with me?" Saitama's smile grew. "Do you miss Genos already?"

"I was just curious. I know he's coming back." Her tail puffed up in alarm when she felt his hand slip a little lower down her spine. _What is he doing? He's getting too close to the base of my tail. I don't want a repeat of what happened last time. That was so embarrassing!_

He watched her cook, having nothing better to do. When she seemed to relax a little more, her tail started to absently shift behind her. It curled at the end and lifted a little, dragging up the hem of the sweatshirt. To his surprise, she appeared completely oblivious to the sudden exposure of the back of her pale thighs and her black panties. "I'm surprised you haven't been called to any monster fights lately. I heard there were a lot of dog monsters in the other cities."

She shrugged and started plating their meals. "Yeah, well it's probably for the best."

Saitama followed her to the table and sat next to her. "Yeah, but it's kind of personal, isn't it? I mean, it's pretty obvious. Kenta made them."

Noriko began to eat, trying not to think about it. "Hn. Not so much 'made'. The only thing he even partially created on his own was Koneko and even then, he apparently took something from me to create her. For them, he just altered feral dogs."

He lifted a forkful of food to his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. "I keep forgetting that she's your kid. It's weird to think of it that way."

She bowed her head and continued eating. _Speaking of Koneko, she'll need new supplies soon. A better tent. Or maybe I could pay the old rancher rent so Koneko can stay in her house. She's going to need winter clothes, too. Saitama said that the old woman gave her some of her old clothes, but Koneko deserves her own stuff._ Noriko began considering all of the expenses as she ate, making notes once her meal had been devoured.

Saitama looked over and frowned. "You're going to stress yourself out if you keep worrying about things," he remarked. "Like Koneko. You know she's okay for now."

"I can't help but worry," she stated simply. "There's that, Kenta, the rat monster that's supposedly coming, Sonic, and a bunch of other things." Noriko sighed and closed her eyes when she felt a warm hand rubbing behind one of her feline ears. "Hn…that's not going to work this time. There's too much…" To her embarrassment, a loud purring issued from her throat and she nuzzled the top of her head against his fingers. _Damn it. I'm pathetic._

"Good kitty. See? Just don't worry about it. Doesn't that feel good?"

She snickered. "That just…sounds wrong. Don't word it like that." Her body fell onto its side, relaxing across his lap. This only added to her humiliation, but when she felt his free hand run along her back she could not deny that it felt soothing. Eyes opening halfway, she looked at the television screen. An anime was playing, but it was one that she had seen before.

His gaze shifted from the anime to the girl lying across his lap. Her long violet hair was hanging over her face and felt soft when his fingertips brushed over it. The girl's tail curled at the end in bliss when he pushed his other hand beneath the hem of the sweatshirt and then the tank top. Her bare back felt soft and smooth under his fingers. It abruptly reminded him of the position he was in. Genos was out of the apartment and Noriko was sprawled across his lap with her head resting on his knee. With one hand up the back of her shirt and his other hand rubbing behind her ear. If someone were to walk in on them in their current position, it could look very bad. "Hey, Nya-chan?"

"Hn…sorry. Do you need me to move?"

"No. Never mind." He tried to focus on the anime, but her tail's movement drew his attention back to the girl. Her tail was slowly swaying side to side, drawing the back of the shirt up so her panties were visible. The man shifted a little in discomfort and it made her jolt.

"Are you sure you don't need me to move?" Noriko was enjoying her back and feline ears being rubbed, but knew at the back of her mind that what they were doing was weird. _It feels really good though. Damn these feline tendencies._ When he drew his hand away from her ear, she leaned up to rub her cheek against his fingers. "Hn. Sorry," she muttered, her face turning pink with shame. "It's…a cat thing."

"No, it's cool." His fingertips brushed beneath her chin, distracting her as his eyes settled on the area just above the base of her tail. "So that really feels good, huh?"

"Y-yeah. It's annoying though. It makes me seem less than human."

"You know, you're kind of _more_ than human. You're human and cat. At least you don't get hairballs, right?" Saitama continued to stare at the spot above her tail, using every ounce of self-control to not touch it. "Besides, it's cute when you purr."

"I'm supposed to be a _hero_ ; not a _housecat_." Despite this, she continued to purr and rub her cheek against his hand. _Kenta never even tried this. The thought didn't even cross his mind, I'll bet. So how did Saitama know that-?_ A low sound left her lips and her back arched so her rear lifted in the air. Pleasure raced along her spine and filled her body with a growing warmth as fingertips massaged the spot above her tail's base. "Ngh! S-Saitama, don't~"

"It's really that sensitive?" he asked, tilting his head. "I thought you might have just been overreacting last time, but you really can't control it, can you? Cats are interesting."

"S-stop…please…this is embarrassing~" The words left her in a moan, her back arching a little more and her nails digging into the floor beneath her.

"Huh? But this is so fun." Saitama looked up when he heard a pounding at the apartment door. "Genos? Did you forget your key?" He left Noriko, approaching the door with no hesitation whatsoever. When he opened it, he stared at the visitor with slight surprise. "What are you doing here?"

From her seat on the floor, still wearing Saitama's sweatshirt, Noriko could see Sonic standing in the hallway beyond. _Damn it! What is he doing here?!_ She moved quickly, trying to hide near the balcony doors. At the same time, her phone began to ring in her bag.

"Send Noriko out. I know she's in there," the ninja demanded.

"Huh? Why do you need Noriko? And anyway, I'm pretty sure she doesn't want to talk to you. Go home, Sonic."

Noriko hurried to grab her phone, tripping and falling over the bag on her way back toward the balcony. Wincing and knowing that both men could see her panties now, she tried to answer her phone calmly. "Noriko here…er…Samurai Catgirl."

"Samurai Catgirl? I'm with the Hero Association. Is it true that you attacked a member of the Genos fan club yesterday in the middle of a busy street?"

She recognized the voice as the staff member who usually gave her requests and her ears drew back. "Hn…I didn't attack her. I had a talk with her."

"The girl, Yaya, is saying that you threw her down in the street and snapped her arm in half. Are you aware that you caused this injury? We don't take kindly to heroes injuring normal citizens, Samurai Catgirl. Starting today, you will be put on probation and suspended from pay for the next month. You can go on missions, but you will not be able to move up in rank or receive payment. If you commit a second offense against a citizen, you will be taken into police custody. We take attacks against citizens very seriously."


	44. Chapter 44

Noriko sat stunned, her feline ears drawn back as she stared down at her phone. The representative from the Hero Association had already hung up so the screen was blank, but she still stared at it as if they may call back and say it was all just a cruel joke of some sort _. I didn't hurt that girl though. Do they have any proof that I did? I'm pretty sure I didn't do anything to hurt her. At the very least, she might have some bruises on her back, but I know for sure that I didn't touch her arms._

"Hey, Nya-chan? Are you okay? Who was that?" Saitama was still standing at the doorway, the door hanging open.

She turned her head and looked past him at Sonic. When their eyes met, she felt a low growl forming at the back of her throat. "Why are you here?"

He had been a little thrown off by a number of things. First, he had expected to catch her off guard by arriving early in the morning with the hopes of drawing her away from her friends. To his great disappointment, she seemed more than alert enough to know better than to fall for that trap. Not to mention that she was not alone. Worse, he had arrived just in time to hear her moaning and when the door opened to reveal the two of them alone, with her wearing just the man's sweatshirt, Sonic could feel his blood begin to boil. Attempting to shake off his surprise, he smirked and crossed his arms. "I came here to challenge you to a fight, but it looks like I might be interrupting something. Or is this another pathetic attempt at trying to make me jealous, Noriko?"

"Huh? Why would she want to make you jealous? And what are you jealous of?" Saitama asked, genuinely confused. He glanced at Sonic briefly before looking at Noriko. "Hey, so who was on the phone?"

The girl was trembling with rage as she got to her feet. Her tail began to swish back and forth violently as she nonchalantly grabbed one of her swords. "Hn…doesn't matter. What _does_ matter is that I'm in a bad mood now. Sonic, if you really want a fight, then I'll be more than happy to accept your challenge!" She crossed the apartment faster than either man thought possible for her and leapt into the air, poising her blade to strike down upon his head.

The ninja began to grin and had his katana ready to block her sword. They locked blades for an instant before taking it out to the hallway. Noriko rushed at him, not expecting to actually hit him. More than anything, she just wanted an outlet for her stress and anger. _If it were Saitama or Genos, I'd feel guilty about going all out! I don't think I'll feel half as bad if it's Sonic!_ She dodged a strike from him and jumped back. Standing down the hall from him, she soon took notice of how his gaze seemed to roam up and down her figure. "Just…what the _hell_ are you staring at?" she growled.

"You seem pretty calm for fighting without pants," he remarked, smirking. "Of course, we both know I've seen you in even _less_ clothes, right?"

They both sprinted down the corridor at considerably different speeds, ready to clash once more and continue the battle. Before they could reach each other, they both felt a tug at the back of their shirt and were lifted into the air. Saitama sighed and shook his head. "I thought I told you not to pick fights with her," he started, turning to give Sonic a stern glare. "And what did you say just a second ago?"

"You think her boyfriend is the only one that's seen her without clothes? You don't know-!" He was cut off by a quick strike to the back of his head that rendered him unconscious.

Noriko's face turned red and she went limp in Saitama's hold, her heart racing. _He's going to ask. What am I supposed to say? I made a mistake! Several mistakes! I never wanted anyone to know about it and now here it is to cause me trouble!_

Saitama shifted his eyes to the catgirl and felt her trembling. "Stalkers are creepy, huh? Alright, let's get back inside." He dropped Sonic onto the floor and carried Noriko back into the apartment. When the door was locked and they were both seated at the table, he sighed once more. "Man, he's getting really annoying. The next time he tries to mess with you, just ignore him, Nya-chan. It'll just encourage him if you actually fight him."

"Hn." She curled up against the wall and frowned. "…I needed to blow off some steam without feeling guilty…"

He seemed to be only half-listening as he started the game station that she had bought for him. There was a moment of silence, broken only by the soft clicking of buttons on the controller. "So who was on the phone? Whatever they said, it pissed you off, right?"

"The Hero Association called to say I'm on probation and my pay is being withheld for the next month. I won't get paid. I can't move up in rank. Not that I'm a hero just for those things, but the pay helps me throughout the month."

His eyes were on the television screen as he played the game, but he spared her a glance when she moved to sit against his side. "Why are they doing that? Because of yesterday?"

"The girl said that I 'threw her down in the street and snapped her arm in half'. And the representative that called me said that the Hero Association doesn't take kindly to heroes attacking normal citizens." She drew her knees to her chest and sighed. "Saitama, I didn't hurt her…did I?"

Struggling with the choices of either continuing his game or reaching over to pet behind her ear, he shrugged. "I didn't see you touch her arms. Something might have happened after she left though. Like she tripped or something. There was a big group of people there, you know."

"Yeah, but they're all members of Genos' fan club. So of course they'll testify against me," she muttered, resting her head against his shoulder. "Hn."

"Just wait until Genos gets home. He'll go talk to the Hero Association."

 _I shouldn't need him to defend me though. I should have been able to control myself yesterday._ She stood and went to her bag to find some clean clothes. Noriko located a clean set of clothes and left briefly to change. When she returned to the room, she dropped Saitama's sweatshirt beside him on the floor. "I'm going out for a while."

"Uh, are you sure that's a good idea? I think Sonic might still be in the hallway." He paused the game and looked over to find her already putting on her boots. "You want me to go with you, Nya-chan?"

"No…I'll be okay on my own. And I promise I won't fight him again. Not today." She settled her swords on her back and gave her friend a half-smile. "Don't worry about me, okay?"

"I don't like the way you said that, but okay. Call me if something happens. I'll let Genos know that you went for a walk."

Noriko leapt down from the balcony to the one below them and followed the row down until she reached the street. She glanced toward the door leading into the building, expecting Sonic to come bursting out to challenge her again. Tilting her head, she frowned. _Did he already leave? I mean, going home would be the smart thing to do after what Saitama did to him._ She smirked and stretched her arms over her head, delighting in the warm sunshine.

The girl had absolutely no idea where she was going or what she would do, but knew that sitting in the apartment would be depressing. It would just remind her that she was limited for the next month. She kicked at a pebble, sending it skipping along down the road ahead of her. The situation reminded her of what Sonic had once said, about the heroes having to work under rules set by other people and being limited. Shaking her head, she tried not to think about it. Dwelling on it would only make her feel worse. "Okay, so what should I do today?"

"Kitty cat, no!" a small voice wailed from behind her.

She turned quickly, worried that someone was calling to her, but instead found something else. A little boy was standing on the tips of his toes in front of a cement wall with a large pipe set in the side of it. Noriko's ears perked forward and she cautiously began walking toward the child. "Um…excuse me? Do you need help?" she hesitantly asked.

The child turned to her, tears streaming down his cheeks, and his eyes widened. "A-a big kitty lady?! Wh-what _are_ you?"

Just a little offended by the question, she attempted a polite smile. "Ah…Noriko. I'm a hero. Do you need some help with your cat?"

Thankfully, the child seemed much more concerned with his feline than with the catgirl's appearance. "Yuki went into the pipe! It's too high for me to get in and it's too dark! All I can see are Yuki's eyes!" he sobbed.

"Hn. Alright, let's see." Noriko approached the pipe's opening and tilted her head. It was definitely wide enough for her to get into and tall enough that she could slip in with her swords still on her back. _Good, because I'm not about to leave these with some strange kid._ She looked at the boy and nodded once. "Okay, I'm going in. But before I do, promise me that you'll never wander into this part of the city again, okay? It's dangerous. There are monsters."

He nodded eagerly. "I promise! Please help Yuki!"

She hoisted herself up and into the pipe, pausing once inside so her eyes could adjust to the very small amount of light that came in. At the end of the pipe seemed to be a small, dark space that she might be able to turn around in once she reached it. On her hands and knees, feeling the cold metal beneath her palms, she began to crawl. Even though it was big enough for her to fit through, she still felt claustrophobic inside of the pipe. It was dark and a little damp, the shape of the pipe seeming to waver if she stared at it. _Like it's going to close in on me. Damn it. I never did like tight spaces like this, even after becoming part cat._

A small, pitiful meow was heard at the end of the pipe, urging the girl on. When she reached the space at the end, she found a white cat shivering and sneezing inside. Even in the dim light, with her feline vision, Noriko could see that it was muddy and wet. With reluctance, she held out her arms and let it hop into her embrace. She held it against her chest with one arm, turning in the small space and then slowly crawling back toward the pipe's opening.

"Hey, kid. What are you staring at?"

Noriko froze in the pipe and gritted her teeth. _What is he doing here?! Did he follow me?_

"I-I was walking with Yuki and she ran into this pipe and a cat lady is helping her out!"

"A cat lady, huh?" Sonic peered in at Noriko and smirked. "You look pathetic in there."

"Don't say mean things to the cat lady! She's helping Yuki get out!" the child protested.

"You're in there saving a cat like some kind of C-class hero," Sonic proceeded to taunt her. When her upper half slipped out of the pipe, he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her out the rest of the way. Both Noriko and the muddy cat that she held against her chest were shivering. "What? Was it cold in there?"

"Yuki!" The little boy claimed the cat from Noriko, beaming. "Thank you so much, cat lady! You're amazing!"

Trying to ignore Sonic, the catgirl turned her attention fully to the child. "You said you were walking with your cat and she suddenly ran to this pipe?" she asked. Her mind was racing, trying to determine why the cat would do such a thing. It was a small, wet, cold, dark place. Not a place that any cat would normally rush to. Not to mention that the creature was shivering from more than just the cold. Noriko could see it in the cat's eyes.

"Yeah. Yuki sniffed the ground and her tail got all puffy and she hissed. And she ran to this pipe." He wiped his eyes and reached over with his free arm to try to hug her. "Thank you for saving her, cat lady!"

"Where did she start sniffing the ground?" Sonic inquired, instantly understanding why Noriko was concerned. Not that he knew too much about cats, but he could take a guess.

The little boy pointed down the road, to the right of where they were standing. "Down there at the alley. She must've smelled something she didn't like, right? We won't go there ever again. I promise, Yuki! If you don't like that alley, we'll stay away from it!"

Noriko patted the top of the child's head. "Alright, run home now. It's not safe in this part of the city. It's probably best that you don't tell your mom that you came here, okay?" She saw him nod and watched him run toward the more populated part of town. Aware that Sonic was still standing very close, she started walking toward the alley. "I'm not fighting you again today," she stated simply.

He smirked behind the girl, following closely. "That's fine. There are other things that we can do anyway."

She glared at him over her shoulder. "Sonic…I'm really not in the mood for this right now. Whatever that cat smelled, it really scared her."

"So? Whatever you're doing doesn't concern me. I'm just going along to watch." He was abruptly in front of her, stopping the girl in her tracks as he gripped her chin and made her eyes meet his. "Maybe when you collapse, I'll just carry you back to my base."

"I'm not going to collapse. I'm not some sort of weakling," she argued.

"But don't I make your knees weak?" he teased her. Leaning down, he pressed his lips to hers and drew her front tightly against his. Noriko squirmed a little in his hold, her hands pressing against his chest to try to push him away. He nipped at her bottom lip and smirked when she whimpered. The girl broke the kiss and leaned her forehead on his shoulder, frowning with her face flushed a bright pink. "Don't try to lie and say that you-"

"There you are, you ugly bitch!" a low voice roared from behind Sonic.

The ninja scooped Noriko into his arms and swiftly dodged a large hammer that slammed down upon where they had been standing. The catgirl was stunned for a moment as they both looked at the creature wielding the hammer. It was a rat monster, but it was different from the others. To begin with, this one wore some sort of puffy red jumpsuit. It was taller than the others, reaching nearly twenty feet tall on its hind legs. However, the most alarming characteristic of this monster was that it was armed with several weapons. It was holding the large hammer with both hands, but had various knives, swords, and even guns holstered on its back and waist.

"It's always something, isn't it? Alright, so give us your ridiculous introduction so we can get this over with," Sonic stated. He set Noriko down and watched her unsheathe her swords.

The beast's red eyes fixed upon the two and it grinned widely, displaying rows of razor sharp teeth. "I'm Rager Rat. Strict orders to take the girl in. Not without hurting her real bad first. Best part is, I got orders to kill any guys around her. Looks like you're the only one though. Too bad. I was hoping to battle the Demon Cyborg. Knock his head off!" It cackled widely, oblivious to the murderous gleam forming in Noriko's eyes.


	45. Chapter 45

_This could be really bad._ Noriko glanced from the ninja at her side to the rat monster before her. If she wanted to attack him, she would do it alone. The man beside her seemed only half-interested in the creature anyway. The monster in question was brandishing a long blade with a serrated edge that looked like it could shred flesh effortlessly. In his other hand was the large hammer. _Alright so that's pretty bad. I need to focus on incapacitating him instead of disarming him. If I spend too much time trying to get rid of his weapons, he'll have time to react or call for back up or something. What makes things worse is…Sonic. If Genos sees me fighting alongside Sonic, I'm sure he'll be angry._

The man cast a casual glance in her direction. "So what's your plan? Or do you even _have_ one? I don't want to see you run at that thing mindlessly and get torn apart."

"When have I ever run at a monster mindlessly?" she growled, looking the beast up and down carefully. _It's not like the others. That bulk isn't fat; it's muscle. I can tell._

"So you're saying that when that last one dragged you under it down the street, you had _planned_ that?" Sonic taunted.

"Look, if you're not going to help then just go home! I didn't want to see you anyway!"

"What was that?" He watched her rush forward and moved quickly to beat her to the monster. "Don't you think you're trying a little too hard to pretend you don't miss me?" he demanded as he swung his katana down toward the rat's head.

The monster's skull was thick, the flesh even thicker. The edge of the blade nicked the topmost layer of the skin, but drew no blood. Rager Rat threw back his head and released a rumbling laugh. "You think your puny blades can hurt me! Let me show you what a real sword looks like!" He twisted and hefted his blade in Noriko's direction. It would have shredded her midsection, but her body was lifted and tossed back several feet. "Oh, this is too perfect! Do you really think that you can protect her? Don't tell me you _like_ this ugly little bitch!"

Noriko grimaced and braced herself, ready to run back and attack. Her heart raced as she ran at the creature, drawing back a sword with the intent to pierce his stomach. As she neared him, Rager Rat swung the hammer in his other paw and slammed it into her chest. The catgirl tumbled over the ground, skidding to a halt at the foot of a building. Spitting blood onto the pavement, she scowled. _Damn it! He hits harder than Fancy Rat did! A hit to the face and I might actually lose my head!_

Blinking in surprise, she saw Sonic flash around the monster, his blade glinting. When he launched himself into the air, she knew to take cover. The second she heard 'Exploding Shuriken', she was sure that the monster would at least be weakened. When the smoke cleared, she sprinted forth and shoved her left sword deep into the rat's gut before twisting and pulling it free. Thick, dark blood poured out and the rat looked down at the wound. Noriko's nose wrinkled at the metallic stench, but she forced herself to remain calm and grounded. "Rager Rat. I know why you're here. I know why he sent you. I know you're not going to go peacefully. In fact, I don't think you'd be capable of that. So how about you make this a quick, easy death-?"

"Who said anything about _your_ death?" He chuckled, body trembling. "If anyone here is going to die, it's going to be that tiny mouse at your side. I was given specific orders to take you in and kill any man around you."

 _Wait…what?_ She looked beside her and saw Sonic giving the rat an impatient glare. "Go away! I can handle this!"

"That would sound more convincing if you didn't have blood running out of your mouth. Why don't you sit on the sidelines and let me finish this quickly? You can repay me when we get back to my base." He sent her a smirk before rushing at the beast.

 _Damn it!_ Noriko was quick to follow, dodging a swing of the hammer and a downward slice of the rat's blade. She managed to slice open another portion of its torso before jumping back, mind racing. _Alright, what next? What next? I need to think fast! Sonic keeps forgetting about its thick skin!_ _His sword isn't making an impact! What should I do now?!_ An idea began to form and she grinned evilly. "Alright…" She activated the electricity in her blades and her tail swished back and forth. "I think what we need now is something a little _shocking_!" Noriko launched herself into the air, prepared to pierce its chest with the charged swords.

"You think that's _witty_?!" Rager Rat turned swiftly and slammed his hammer into her side, sending her flying through the air. As soon as she landed, he ran at her with the blade ready to slice flesh. "All he said was that you should be alive! He didn't say what percentage of you needs to be living! As long as your tissue is still living, everything should be just fine!"

"Wh-what?!" The girl twisted and leapt back to avoid the slashing serrated blade, not taking her eyes off of him. When her tail brushed something solid behind her, she raised both swords and caught his blade between them. It sent a sharp shockwave up the handle and he dropped it with a cry of pain. She gave it a hard kick, sending it skidding over the ground several feet away. "Hn. Okay let's try this again. Stay still and let me finish you or I'll really make it hurt!" she snarled, brandishing her swords.

Rager Rat blinked his beady eyes down at her and the corners of his mouth drew back in the most terrifying smile she had ever seen. "You think I'm finished already? You _cats_. You're all so arrogant, really. I thought it was just _him_."

"…Catman Scavenger…? What do you know about him?"

"Who are you talking about?" Sonic appeared behind the monster, giving Noriko a curious look that soon turned into amusement. "Didn't you tell me to go away? You look confused."

 _Where did he go? I saw him run at the monster earlier! Did he just disappear to mock me?_ Shaking her head, she released an exasperated sigh. "Rager Rat. Tell me about Catman Scavenger. Who is he? Why does he collect rat monster corpses?"

"You can ask him yourself. He'll be joining us soon enough. That is, if you're still conscious when he shows up. That pretentious feline sure likes to take his time." The rat reached to a holster on his waist, drawing forth a large gun with gaudy flames painted on it. "What's that? Do I see fear in those nasty green eyes of yours?"

"I'm not afraid of you or your second-rate weapons!" She moved to attack, but found him jumping back quickly to avoid her strike. _What the hell?! He wasn't that fast before!_

The monster chuckled as she tried again and again. "I should probably thank you for draining some of this blood. I drained a few morsels on my way here. Didn't think their blood would weigh me down so much. Humans are just so tasty; I couldn't help myself!" His gaze shifted to Sonic, who was looking increasingly uninterested. "You look like you would taste pretty good. Are you going to fight for your life or be a good little brat and let me eat you?"

"Who are you calling a little brat? Fine, I'll humor you and fight you, but only so we can finish this quickly. I had plans for her today and you're interrupting them." He darted forward, clashing his blade against the barrel of the gun and cleanly slicing it in two. The man twisted quickly to avoid a large knife that was aimed at his chest, frowning. "You're stronger than the other rats. Not strong enough though; this is starting to get boring."

 **Shift P.O.V**

"Where is Noriko?" Genos stood in the doorway for a moment, his eyes shifting around the room in search of his girlfriend. "Did she say that she was going out?"

"Huh? Yeah, she went for a walk," Saitama answered. He was reading a manga, sitting against the wall; basically lounging. "Why? Did you need her for something?"

The blonde set his grocery bags down in the kitchen and frowned. "I do not like the thought of her walking alone."

The other man shrugged. "Was I supposed to stop her? Anyway, she's having a pretty rough day so I thought a walk would make her feel better. Sonic showed up and they got in a fight. Don't look so worried; I stopped them before it got out of hand. Also, the Hero Association is withholding her pay for the next month."

Genos stared at him for a long moment before turning toward the door. "She is out there alone and that pervert will attack her. I will bring her back."

"Wait a minute." Saitama stood and started toward him. "If we interfere, she's going to be mad. She's going to think that we think she can't defend herself."

"I do not want him touching her." There was a frightening ferocity behind the words, a darkness in his voice, that made Saitama flinch. "Will you come with me or wait for us here?"

He sighed. "Well, obviously, I'll go with you. But she's going to be mad at us. She's having a pretty bad day already. So how are you going to find her?"

"There is no need to worry about that. I have a way."

Saitama yawned and locked the apartment door when they left. "Okay, so what are you going to do if she really is mad at us for interfering with her fight?"

"I have ways."

"Really? You have ways? You have ways of making her forgive you? Now that I think about it, she's never actually been mad at you, has she?" As they stepped out into the sunlight, he frowned. "So you're really protective of her, huh? Have you ever wondered why? I mean, isn't she the first girl you've ever dated? And you're the first guy she's ever dated. What if you guys are just close because you've never dated anyone else?" He expected Genos to get angry. Any normal person would be at least a little irritated by such words.

The blonde seemed to not entirely grasp what Saitama was hinting at. "I am protective of her because I love her, Master Saitama. I want to keep her safe."

"Right, but why? What is it that you love about her?" There was a brief silence. "Alright, just forget that I said anything. I didn't mean to start something. I was just curious. So are we going right or left?"

"Left. I love many different things about her, but I do not want to discuss this with you. I apologize, Master Saitama."

"It's fine. I get it. You really like her. I guess you shouldn't have to explain yourself. I mean, I kind of like her, too. I wouldn't want to explain that to someone." He froze in his steps, eyes wide. _Did I really just say that?! I told myself I wasn't going to say anything to them!_

Thankfully, Genos seemed to yet again fail to grasp the true meaning of his words. "I am glad that you like Noriko. I know that I have been gone a lot and I was worried that she would feel lonely. I am glad that she has you."

"Uh, yeah. No problem." Saitama rubbed the back of his head as they continued down the street. _He really doesn't know. Would it be worse if I told him or if I kept it a secret? Not that I'd ever act on it._ Sighing, he looked around at their surroundings. "So? Which way now?"

 **Shift P.O.V**

"Ngh! D-damn it!" Noriko's lips dripped blood as she shakily pushed herself to stand. _The more blood he loses, the faster he becomes. Maybe stronger too? And that perverted jerk keeps fighting him!_ She glared at the two through her long violet hair, her feline ears flattened in frustration and a low growl rising from the back of her throat. The catgirl was hurt badly; covered in cuts and bruises. There was a bullet lodged deep in her left shoulder, but the smell of blood filled her with adrenaline and allowed her to keep going.

Rushing toward the battle once more, she knew that she had to plan quickly. On one hand, she needed to stop Sonic from continuing his assault on the monster. Every time the creature shed blood, it grew stronger. On the other hand, she needed to somehow stop Rager Rat. His talk of draining humans made her worry that his attention might stray to the populated portion of the city. Feeling the handles of her swords hum with electricity, she felt slightly reassured of her own strength. _I can do this! I have to do this!_ Noriko leapt into the air and came down hard upon her target, driving the blunt hilt of her sword against their skull.

Sonic, already frustrated with the rat's refusal to die, turned on her in an instant and sent shuriken driving deep into her limbs. It took a moment before he realized what he had done, but by then she had turned her attention to the rat. Gritting his teeth, he watched her and waited. Striking with exploding shuriken now could kill her and that was not something he wanted to deal with. She managed to scale the monster and perch upon its back, her knees digging into its ribcage. "Do you want help?" he taunted, not about to apologize.

"I'm not about to owe you again!" she snarled, thrusting both blades into the monster's shoulders. Rager Rat threw his head back, roaring in agony before shaking his body violently. The girl was tossed like a ragdoll, gripping her swords. She clenched her eyes shut, anticipating a collision with the hard ground or the side of a building. Instead, she felt a warm embrace and when she opened her eyes, she found Sonic smirking down at her. "…damn it…"

"You just can't help it, can you? Why don't you just give up? If you agree to come with me, you can sit on the side while I finish this."

"I'm not going to do that! Look out!" Noriko looked past him at the rat monster looming over them. She flinched when it raised its hammer. _Rager Rat got a lot faster when he started losing blood! Can Sonic get us out of the way in time?!_

"Incinerate." The word was spoken in a cold, dark tone and came from behind the rat.

Intense waves of heat blew around the rat, roasting its back and burning away the puffy red jumpsuit that it was wearing. The belts holding his weapons fell apart, sending the guns and blades clattering to the pavement below. Despite this, Rager Rat was still alive. He turned to the blonde cyborg behind him, completely ignoring the bald hero further back, and roared with laughter. "Finally! The Demon Cyborg! Just who I was hoping to face! I didn't think I would need to go through that pathetic excuse for a ninja before I got to you!"

To the rat's utter surprise, Genos walked past him to where Sonic stood. The dark-haired man was still holding Noriko and the girl's limbs still had shuriken imbedded in them. His gold and black eyes went from the catgirl to the ninja and he curled his hands into fists. "Why are you holding my girlfriend? Did no one tell you that it is wrong to touch what belongs to someone else?" He saw blood trickle from the corner of her mouth and it only fed his rage. The cyborg knew that he needed to keep calm and focused, but it was becoming difficult.

"You think you can just _ignore_ me?! You think I'll let you carry on a conversation while I just stand here twiddling my paws? Face me and fight me!" Rager Rat snarled.

"I have more important matters to attend to. You will have to wait your turn, rodent."

"Tch! Just what is so special about that ugly bitch anyway?!"


	46. Chapter 46

"Oh, hey! Isn't that…um…what was his name? He was on the news a while back!"

"It's Catman Scavenger!"

The words caught King's attention and he looked over. He was standing in a convenience store, currently in the process of picking out snacks. The plan had been to visit Saitama, who he had not seen in a while. Though he was nervous about possibly encountering the catgirls again. _The taller one was really cute, but her little sister was terrifying. I can't remember if Catman Scavenger is a hero or not._ Curiosity was what made him look over and his eyes quickly widened at the person's appearance.

Catman Scavenger was of average height for a young man in his twenties, but the rest of his appearance was quite above average. He had long, flowing black hair and skin as pale as snow. Like the catgirls, he sported pointed cat ears and a slender tail with fur that matched his hair color. The eyes that surveyed the others in the store were a piercing crimson shade similar to fresh blood. Dark tattoos ran across his cheeks to resemble cat whiskers. His nails were long and sharp in appearance, his hands clothed in fingerless black gloves. He was wearing tight black pants and a black shirt beneath a white vest. Seeing the girls look his way, the catman smirked. He strode up to the counter confidently, but that was where his suave façade came crumbling apart.

"I heard _she_ was here. You know. _Samurai Catgirl_?" There was an unsettling desperation behind his words that made the girls near King cringe. "You've seen her here, right?"

The clerk, unsettled by both the tone of his voice and the fact that he was starting to sweat, now desperately wanted him to leave. "Uh, yeah. She comes here sometimes, but-"

"Oh…yeah. I can feel her presence. Her residual presence and that sweet smell she always had." He started to shiver and the clerk stepped away from the counter. "What are you staring at? Do you have her number? Did she ever hook up with you?"

"Er… _what_? No, I don't have her number and we've never-"

"You give someone so much and they show so much ingratitude. You have a girlfriend? You know what I'm talking about? You let them do what they want just once and the next thing you know, they're running off with every hero in sight!"

"Um…look, if you don't leave, I'm going to call the cops."

King watched this unfold and continued to watch as the catman argued with the clerk about Samurai Catgirl. _If he's looking for her, why is he wasting his time arguing with that guy?_ He frowned and, deciding against buying snacks, attempted to slip out of the store unseen.

"Oh! King, thank goodness!"

"What? No, I was just-"

"Tell him off, King! Tell him to get out of the store or you'll tear his face off!"

"Yeah! Tell that creep off, King!" the girls joined in.

His heart began to race as he suddenly found himself face to face with the catperson. He was uncertain of what was more frightening; the man's claws or the way he seemed to enjoy being close to King. _Why is he making that face? What is he going to do? I don't want these people to get hurt, but what am I supposed to do?!_ To his horror, the man stepped closer and inhaled deeply through his nose. The smile on his face seemed to grow in pleasure as he shuddered. "You need to leave. Now," King stated, trying to sound firm.

"You smell a little like her. Are you a friend of hers? Have you seen things?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, but you need to leave this store right now."

 **Shift P.O.V**

"Hey, do you guys care if I finish this guy off? I'm getting bored."

All eyes shifted to Saitama and the rat monster began to chuckle. "You think that you can defeat me so easily? You must be either stupid or confident! Let me just knock you down a few notches! Or better yet, maybe I'll finish you off!" The rat charged at him, hammer braced to hit.

"Finish him!" Noriko called. She saw a brief smile flash across her friend's features and braced herself. The rat monster soon fell to the ground with a heavy thud and a hole through his midsection. _Damn it. Why can't I be strong like Saitama? Instead I'm like this…I got the crap beaten out of me and I don't know if I can stand up on my own. Not to mention this terrible situation._ She glared up at Sonic through her hair and struggled again, trying to get out of his grip. The man was holding her bridal style, smirking over her at Genos.

"You keep saying she's yours, but I don't think you're serious. If you really wanted her, why would you let her walk around by herself? Don't you think that's just asking for trouble?"

"Put her down so we can settle this." The blonde's gaze was fixed on the girl now, taking a quick inventory of her wounds. She was obviously in pain and the way that Sonic held her could not be helping. "Put her down," he repeated, now glaring at the man.

"You really want her back? Come and get her!"

Noriko yelped at the sudden movement and closed her eyes against the rush of air. He was holding her tightly to ensure that she would not fall, but she was scared nonetheless. _I can't hold onto him or it will look bad! Damn it, why can't he just put me down?!_ To her horror, he shifted her so she was draped over his shoulder and used his other hand to draw forth some shuriken. _Don't tell me he's really going to fight Genos with me on his shoulder like this!_

The cyborg was quick to pursue, attacking carefully to avoid hitting Noriko. "It is cowardly to use her as a human shield. Put her down and fight me seriously!"

"I'm not about to let her get away again. Maybe you don't realize it, but this cute little stray likes to run off." Sonic smirked and jumped back, putting ample distance between them before he let his free hand rest on the back of her thigh. "What do _you_ to punish her when she's bad like that? Or do you even have the guts to do it?"

"Put her down before I make you regret ever touching her."

"I think the rewards highly outrank anything you could do to try to make me regret it. I don't know if you even have a sense of feeling, but-"

"Put me down or I'll tear out your throat," she snarled, struggling in his grip.

Sonic raised an eyebrow. "You're really going to threaten me like that when I have you in this position?" he asked before drawing back his hand and striking her bottom hard. "Do I have to do more or are you finished?"

Her face was turning bright red and she was not surprised when he suddenly jumped to avoid an attack by Genos. Noriko sank her nails into Sonic's back, pain flooding her senses as her adrenaline began to wear off. "Ngh! Just…stop…"

"I'm not done." A barrage of shuriken filled the air around Genos, but he managed to move in time to avoid the worst of the explosion. Sonic tilted his head, wearing a slight frown. "He's persistent."

"H-he's not going to just let you take me!" the girl growled.

"Well that's too bad for him because you still owe me for helping you in that fight. When we get back to my base, I'm going collect my payment plus interest."

She gritted her teeth, tempted to say something scathing yet knowing that it would only end badly for her. Just then, her sharp green eyes caught a pair of familiar ones right in front of her. Raising an eyebrow, she silently questioned his motives. He simply gave her his usual dopey smile and gripped both of her hands. In one swift movement, Saitama had dragged her over Sonic's shoulder and simultaneously kicked him in the back, sending him flying forward onto his face. Noriko was about to thank him when he set her on her feet, but she stumbled and instead fell against his side. "Ngh…damn it."

"You want me to carry you back? I mean, you have shuriken sticking out of your arms and legs, Nya-chan." Saitama let her put an arm across his shoulders to steady her, but for it to work he had to slouch quite a bit. "Genos, come on. We're done here."

"Uh...who is that?" Noriko asked, staring at a figure in the distance. _A figure with cat ears and a cat tail…and long hair. A tall figure. Catman Scavenger?!_

"Is that Catman Scavenger? He must have heard that we killed this rat monster."

Genos appeared on Noriko's other side, offering to lend her his support. "Is that the person that you saw on television, Master Saitama?"

"Yeah. Well sort of. I don't think he was drooling when I saw him on the news." He squinted a little as the figure started toward them. "What's he carrying?"

"Some sort of device. We should get Noriko home so I can take care of her wounds."

"So you don't want to keep fighting Sonic? You're done?"

"…don't start that…" she mumbled, not looking at either of them.

"I am done. I would rather get Noriko safely home than continue to fight him. Besides, he seems to be incapacitated."

Saitama glanced from his two friends to the catperson slowly approaching them. "Okay, so what about _this_ guy? Want me to see what his problem is? It doesn't look like he's here just for the rat monster."

Noriko took a shaky breath, her body trembling. "The rat monster said he was going to come. I think he's back up for the monster, but now that he's dead, I don't know what this guy is going to do. Maybe we should just go."

"Huh? No way. I want to know what this is about. Kenta keeps sending these mutated rats and he wants your DNA, right? Why? What's he planning?" Saitama left her to lean against Genos and took a few steps toward the catman. "Hey. You're Catman Scavenger, right?"

The dark-haired catperson stopped several feet away, but all of them could immediately see that something was not right about him. Like Saitama said, the man seemed to be drooling. His left eye was twitching furiously, as was his tail, and his feline ears were perked forward intently. In his right hand, he clutched something pink with a floral pattern. "Samurai Catgirl. There you are. It's so good to see you. Mmh~ You smell so good, even from this far away. I just want to eat you up. I might have to, at this rate. The only way to get rid of such a gross abomination."

" _I'm_ talking to you. Stop looking at Nya-chan, you creep." It suddenly dawned on him and Saitama tilted his head. "Wait a second. Oh, I get it now. You sound different on the phone, but I guess that's because you can hide, right? Even now, you're hiding in that body. Sure, it's probably attractive to the girls, but on the inside you're still a creepy otaku. Aren't you, _Kenta_?"

"You're smarter than you look," the catman remarked. He wiped drool from the corner of his mouth and locked his bright red eyes on Noriko. "Well, you've sure gotten popular, haven't you? Just look at you. Little Hinyako. All grown up now, right? Such a shame. You were perfect before you started maturing, you know. You were cute. You were pure. And then you started to get a chest. You could say you went from being a cute little kitten to being a cow. I think they might have even gotten bigger since I last saw you."

Noriko felt a growl forming, her tail twitching in anger. "You… _cretin_."

"Do you think that we will let you speak to Noriko that way? I will obliterate you for what you have done to her and Koneko," Genos spoke up. Though he wanted to fight the man, he was suddenly torn. She was still leaning against him for support as blood gushed from her wounds. To make matters worse, Sonic was now pushing himself up from the ground and glaring over at them. "Master Saitama…"

The bald man looked at the three over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow. "What's up? You want to teach this creep some manners or what?"

"I do. But first, could you stay with Noriko?" The blonde saw Sonic moving at the edge of his vision and turned his head slightly.

The ninja stalked past them, but not without casting Noriko a certain lascivious glance on his way. When he stood between the catman and the three heroes, he grinned and brandished his katana. "So you're Kenta? Perfect. I've been waiting for a chance to cut you up!"

"Huhuhuh. You think you stand a chance against me? I'm here for one reason and one reason alone; I'm taking that cow with me to use to create more catgirls! And this time I'll get it right! No more of this free-will nonsense or maturing! I'm going to perfect the catgirl!"

"What was that laugh just now? That's the most obnoxious noise I've ever heard. No wonder you have to kidnap girls to get close to one."

 _That's a little hypocritical_ , Noriko thought as she rolled her eyes. "Genos…don't worry about it, okay? Let's just leave."

"I cannot forgive him for hurting you and Koneko. I swear that I will avenge your pain. Master Saitama, please protect Noriko until the fight is finished." He started toward the catman as well, hands curling into fists.

"Are you sure you want to put up such a fight, Hinyako? Look. I brought you this cute collar. All you have to do is put it on and we can end this before your little admirers get hurt," Kenta taunted, swinging the pink device. "This is going to look so cute on you. I even got one for Project Koneko to wear, if she'll come out of hiding. I can't wait to see how she looks now. If my calculations are correct, she should look exactly the same as the day she emerged from her test tube. It's just such a shame that you had to grow those…disgustingly big breasts. It's such a disappointment. You used to be so cute. But don't worry. Once I get plenty of DNA samples, I'll put you out of your misery humanely."

Feeling Noriko shiver against his side, Saitama frowned. "Hey, don't talk to her like that. Don't you feel even a little sorry for what you did to her? You ruined her life."

"If it weren't for me, she wouldn't even be a hero now!"

"Look, you creep. If you keep talking to her like that, I'm going to get really mad. You don't want to make me mad. Besides, a C-cup is isn't that big. I think it's just right for her."

She winced and shook her head. "…Saitama…I appreciate you standing up for me, but saying something like that…"

"What are you going to do about it? You're just a low class hero!"

Saitama gave him a blank stare and held up a fist. "I'll punch you."

"Huhuhuh! You'll _punch_ me? Really? You would face my powerful body to defend a disgraceful cow like her?!" Kenta demanded.

"Well, yeah. And stop calling her that unless you want your face to get smashed in. Even if _I_ don't fight you, those two look pretty pissed off and every time you open your mouth you just say something even more offensive. Maybe you should just stop talking."

The catman brandished his clawed hands. "I'm going to cut you up into bloody ribbons! Even the cyborg! When I'm done, I'll do what I please with that _cow_ you're so enamored with!"


	47. Chapter 47

Needless to say, Noriko felt disgusted now that she was face to face with Kenta. _Well, his fancy new body. Who made that for him? It has to be the body of a man that had genes compatible with a cat's, right? And he just had his brain implanted into it. Like a parasite._ Gritting her teeth against the intense pain that came from moving her body. She pushed herself to stand on her own, pushing Saitama's hand away when he tried to help her.

"Hey, don't worry about it. They've got this," he said, hoping to reassure the girl. He watched her take a few steps forward, her body trembling with the effort to not collapse beneath the agony and blood loss. There were still shuriken buried in her limbs, a bullet lodged in her shoulder, and her body was covered in various cuts and bruises. "I know you want to get your revenge, but if you get killed then what will be the point? Your family wouldn't have wanted that." Saitama followed behind her, shifting his gaze between her and the three that were fighting up ahead.

Despite being a total creep and relying on the research of others for his projects, Kenta seemed to be more than capable in combat. The claws on his hands were ultra-sharp; proven when he swiped at Sonic and missed, leaving deep marks in the side of a building. He moved quickly and when he attacked, it was with no care for his own safety. As Noriko watched, he dodged several attacks from Genos and hurled what appeared to be a fireball at the cyborg. Seeing him try to hurt her boyfriend, as well as Sonic, only fed her anger. "I have to do this myself…otherwise it won't be _revenge_. Why can't you understand that?" She prepared to run at the catman, raising her right sword.

Saitama grabbed her shoulder before she could rush forward, gripping firmly enough to keep her in place but not hard enough to hurt her. " _You_ don't understand. Look, you're not alone in this. You have me and Genos and even that weirdo Sonic, for some reason. You don't have to do this by yourself. Let us help you."

"You…just think I'm _weak_."

"I mean, you're shaking and you have shuriken stuck in your body. I'm pretty sure you'd be dead if you were a normal person. Oh. I think Genos is about to-" A loud boom interrupted him. He winced and then his eyes widened. "That doesn't look right."

Noriko's eyes had shifted to the ground, but now they raised to see something truly bizarre. Genos had moved in close to the catman, a hand smoking and positioned in front of him as he gripped the villain's arm in his free hand. Sonic was a short distance away, in the middle of moving in for an attack. He had stopped short and was now staring in bewilderment. Kenta's arm was still being held by Genos, but the rest of his body was half-buried in the side of a building several feet away.

There was a hole in the center of his chest, but something was most definitely not right. The hole was smoking and the stump from where his arm had been was dripping a dark, strange-smelling liquid. He looked at them all with wide red eyes and turned to look at where his arm had been. When he moved his remaining hand to the hole in his chest, he let out a terrifying shriek that made Noriko cringe. "What did you do?! What the _hell_ did you do? I just had this made a few months ago! How could you do this?! Do you even know how much work this was? Give me back my arm!" Kenta pushed himself to stand and started toward Genos, dripping oil with each step that he took.

"…he's…not human…?" the catgirl muttered. She saw his movements becoming somewhat jittery; as if he was having difficulty moving.

"Uh…so he's a catman cyborg? Or is he just somewhere else and controlling that body?"

"This is _my_ body! Damn it, you freaks! You're all freaks! Give me back my arm!" Kenta roared, lunging at Genos.

The blonde easily dodged him and held the arm over his head in a taunting manner, but he did not look amused. "You are not getting this back. Who built that body for you? I know that you lack the knowledge to create something so complex without help."

"Give it back! I need that arm!"

Sonic sighed in exasperation. "This is just ridiculous now. I don't even feel like fighting him if he's going to act so pathetic."

"You think I'm pathetic?! We'll see how you feel after I destroy something you love!"

"Who said anything about _love_? And how can you say you're not pathetic? You've obviously lost and now you're begging for him to give your arm back. There's no point in me staying here anymore." He turned away from the catman and thus did not see him reach into a pocket with his remaining arm.

Kenta withdrew a cellphone and locked his crimson eyes with the gold and black ones of Genos. "You won't give my arm back? Fine. I needed it to carry her back with me, but this is fine. I'll just do what all good predators do; weaken her and return to collect her later!"

Noriko was not sure what he was going to do, but when she saw him push a button on the phone, she knew it would be bad. She was just unsure of how bad it would be. When the electrical currents raced up her handles and into her body, she felt every muscle tense. Her jaw locked shut, eyes clenching against the intense pain until it faded away and the swords fell from her hands. She collapsed to the ground, staring vacantly as Saitama knelt beside her and tried to get a response. _That…hurt…that really hurt. So what now? I can't move. I can't…get my jaw to move…I can't move my arms or legs…but I can feel it. Everything hurts._

Sonic stared at the girl in horror for a moment and then turned to Kenta with a wrathful glare. The catman was smirking in satisfaction. "I didn't need one more reason to kill you, but now that I have one, I'm not letting you go. Now stay still so I can finish you!"

 **Shift P.O.V**

Genos turned his back on Kenta, satisfied that Sonic's attacks would keep him distracted, and rushed over to where his mentor was lifting Noriko. "Master Saitama, is she breathing?"

"Yeah, but it doesn't look good. We need to get her somewhere safe. Let's go." He saw the way that Genos stared at the catgirl. She was quickly losing consciousness, her eyelids fluttering every so often as she struggled to stay awake. "You want to carry her?"

"Yes. I want to make sure that she is alright," Genos replied, accepting the girl into his arms. "I know that you are capable, Master Saitama. I just-"

"No, I know. You're worried about her." He smiled and then looked at the robotic arm that had been discarded on the ground at his feet. "Do you want to take that with us?"

"Yes. Could you carry it for me? I would like for Doctor Kuseno to examine it. Hopefully we can learn something more about who created that body." Looking down at Noriko, he saw that her eyes had closed fully. She was still breathing, but he knew that even if she was still alive there was a chance of that ending. "Master Saitama, could you also carry her swords? Please be careful and put them into their sheaths."

"Sure." Saitama did as he asked and glanced over his shoulder at the fight between Sonic and Kenta. Though he had been certain that the ninja would finish him off, the catman seemed to be doing his best to persevere and avoid his attacks. He raised his eyebrows in surprise when Kenta shot off into the sky. "So, I guess he can fly."

Genos followed his line of sight and frowned. "Yes. We should hurry."

"And there goes Sonic. You think he'll lose sight of him?"

"I am not concerned with that right now." As they walked, Genos began to carefully work free the shuriken that were imbedded in Noriko's limbs. The girl's face contorted in pain, but she made no sound and did not wake up. "She could have died today, Master Saitama."

"Huh? Yeah. I mean, a normal girl would be dead for sure. Uh, why are you making that face? You look like you're about to say something serious." He tilted his head, listening intently for his friend's next words.

"I want her to leave the Hero Association and refrain from fighting. If I were to lose her, I do not know what I would do. The thought of her dying is too painful." There was a melancholy behind the words as he continued to stare down at the girl. Very gently, he used his thumb to wipe at the blood at the corner of her lips.

Saitama saw this and shook his head. "She won't like hearing that. And you know that she won't quit the Hero Association. Being a hero is important to her."

His hold on her tightened. "I will make her understand that this is important to me."

 **Shift P.O.V**

Her sleep was plagued with nightmares and she woke to a feeling of tight pressure all around her. Noriko's field of vision was taken up entirely by Genos, who seemed to be holding her close against him as he slept. His metal body was radiating heat, most likely in an effort to keep her comfortable until she woke, but she also felt a warmth against her back. A less intense warmth that came with human flesh. She shifted to the best of her ability and was amazed by the dull pain of her injuries. _How long was I asleep? My wounds don't feel…Seriously, what is behind me?_ Noriko turned her head as much as she could, looking over her shoulder at her other sleeping roommate. "…Saitama…?"

Beyond him, she could see the balcony and the bright morning light that was pouring in. She struggled again and slowly became aware of a hand pressing just beneath her bust and another pressing on her hip. _What happened while I was out? We're in the apartment. I don't feel too much pain. Maybe I'm dead? The last thing I remember is that shock coming from my swords and being carried by Genos._ Looking back to her boyfriend, she carefully maneuvered her arms around his neck and nuzzled her face against his chest. She knew that it would be a while before she was able to get free of them both. The fact that Saitama was so close still puzzled her, but at least everyone seemed to be alright.

Several minutes passed and soon the hands slid away from her abdomen. The man behind her moved back before he sat up, seeming to look around in confusion for a moment. When he looked down at Noriko and saw that she was awake, he rubbed the back of his neck. "Well that's awkward." The girl turned toward him to the best of her ability, about to speak, but he stopped her. "It's not what it looks like. It's cold in here so we've been sleeping like that to keep you warm. You've been out for three days."

"Wh-what? You…can't be serious."

"Yeah. Oh, but the good news is that Genos took your swords and Kenta's arm to his doctor to have them looked at. Hopefully he can get rid of that electrical thing that charges up your swords, but until then you're going to have to go without a weapon." Saitama tilted his head and offered a hand to her. "You want some help?"

"Er…sure. Thank you." When she was pried out of the cyborg's grip, he shifted in his sleep and turned over. Noriko sat beside him, watching his face as he seemed to frown.

"What do you think he dreams about anyway? Do you think he dreams?"

Her face turned red when she realized that Saitama noticed her watching Genos sleep. "Hn…I don't know. He has a human brain so he probably dreams." Wanting to put this fresh embarrassment behind her, the girl struggled to her feet and nearly fell onto the blonde.

Saitama moved quickly to steady her, raising an eyebrow. "Maybe you should just sit for a while. You were asleep for three days so…"

"N-no, I can do this. I have to be able to move on my own." Bracing a hand against the wall, she moved over to her bag to try to locate some clean clothes. She was currently wearing just a tank top and panties. _Even if I do trust Saitama, I don't want to just be sitting around in this._ She struggled into a skirt and slipped a sweater on over her tank top before her knees gave out and she collapsed. _Damn it! Why did that happen?! Why did I have to be stupid and get shocked like that? Why am I so weak that I let myself get hurt so badly?_

"Oh. Hey, Genos. Sleep well?" There was a quiet confirmation before Saitama went on. "What do you dream about? Oh. If it's too embarrassing, you don't have to tell us. We were just curious."

Noriko had been sitting with her back to him and jumped a little when Genos drew her close against his chest. He was sitting up now and when she tipped her head back to look at him, she saw him looking quite relieved. "G-good morning, Genos."

"How do you feel? I did what I could to stop the bleeding and I removed the shuriken and bullet from your skin. The wounds will leave scars, but the pain should have decreased by now."

"Y-yeah. It doesn't hurt too much," she told him, her heart racing. _Why do I feel this way? Having him hold me like this makes me feel really happy, but it's not like he hasn't done this before. I just…feel really safe right now. And he still feels so warm._

"Noriko, I have something that I need to tell you. Something very important-"

"Seriously though, do you have dreams? I had some weird dreams last night." Saitama was looking over at them with an almost nervous expression on his face.

Genos tightened his hold on Noriko and frowned. "I do dream. All human brains are capable of producing dreams, Master Saitama."

"Wow, really? That's cool. So what do you dream about, Genos? I've always wondered about that. Do you dream about fighting monsters? I have those dreams sometimes."

 _What is he doing?_ Noriko tilted her head and winced when Genos held her even tighter. "Hn…I had nightmares while I slept," she spoke up, still confused as to why they were discussing something so trivial.

To both their surprise, the cyborg bowed his head and seemed almost embarrassed for a split second. "I dream about both of you."

There was a brief moment of silence as his answer sank in. "Uh, what? Wait, you're not having some kind of weird-?"

"Master Saitama, I would never have such dreams," he quickly interrupted, looking away. He felt Noriko's warm skin beneath his fingertips, her pulse beating steadily beneath his touch, and it seemed to help him calm down. "I am leaving to run errands. Come with me, Noriko. There is something that I need to tell you."

"Oh, you guys are going out? I'll go with you. I'm getting hungry anyway," Saitama decided, standing to look for the laundry basket. "Just give me a second."

Noriko twisted in her boyfriend's hold and leaned her head against his shoulder. "I…missed you while I was asleep." Her arms moved around his neck and she closed her eyes.

"I missed you while you were asleep. I was worried that you would die and I know that I could not handle it if I lost you." He lifted her chin and pressed his lips to hers.


	48. Chapter 48

_That's her? She doesn't look that dangerous._ He frowned, feeling almost cheated. When he had first heard about her, she sounded like a powerful monster. He had been expecting something much more vicious. _Wait. I've seen her before, haven't I? She was with Noriko that one day._ A grin started to take form and he drew further into the shadows of the tree, keeping a hand firmly on the trunk as he stepped back on the branch. _She threatened me, didn't she? I wonder how angry Noriko would be if I challenged her to a fight._

There was a sharp click below Sonic and he looked down to spot an old woman standing on the ground, pointing a gun at him. She was wearing a sunhat and typical farming clothes, but her sleeves were rolled up to expose a multitude of dragon and cherry blossom tattoos. He tilted his head and smirked. "What do you want, old woman?"

"What're you doing on my property? You some kind of thug? Think it'd be easy to rob that kid, is that it?" she demanded. "Get down from there or I'll shoot."

He considered his options and decided that murdering this woman for no reason might not be the best thing to do. Jumping down, he set his gaze back on the girl in the field. She appeared to be twelve or thirteen and, like Noriko had feline ears and a tail. Her hair was a lighter shade of purple, however, and her eyes were a paler shade of green. "I'm not here to cause trouble," he finally stated, wanting the old woman to leave him alone.

"Why're you staring at Koneko, huh? You some kind of _pervert_? I'll blow your head off if you even _think_ about touching her! I got strict orders from her mother and even if I didn't-!"

"Her mother? And who would that be?"

The old woman scowled up at him. "You never heard of _Samurai Catgirl_?"

"Noriko is her mother? She isn't old enough to have a child that age."

"Idiot. You know Noriko, you ought to know it was an artificial birth. You a friend of hers or something? Here checking up on the girl like Saitama does?"

This piqued his interest and he turned to her, raising an eyebrow. "Saitama comes here?"

"Takes the girl out for food sometimes."

"Hm." Sonic watched the girl in the field, waiting for her to do something to allude to her true strength. _If she's really Noriko's daughter, then who's her father? And how can I believe this old hag? She could be lying to me._ His eyes widened slightly when he saw the child abruptly sprint across the field toward a cow that was wandering. There was a splash of blood and the cow began to run back to the rest of the herd. "What was that?"

The old woman beside him beamed. "Koneko makes a great shepherd for my cows. Better than most guard dogs, too. She just needs to focus some of that energy on other stuff. You know, she's studying up for the next hero exams. Says she wants to rank high like her mother and that cyborg."

"You don't say. That is interesting." His hands went to his pockets and he frowned. After losing sight of Kenta, as well as losing Noriko, he had made his way back to his hideout to regroup. When he went out just earlier that morning to run some errands, he had spotted the small catgirl and decided to follow her home on a whim. She had been running an errand for the old woman, it seemed. Now he saw her looking over. _What is she going to do? Does she remember me from that one time?_

The girl approached quickly and stood in front of him, staring up at the man intensely with mint green eyes. Her blood-splattered pink jacket was a little alarming to see up close and her smile only made it worse. "Hn. You're…?"

"What did you say your name was, boy?" Now the old woman was looking at him as well, her eyes full of suspicion once more.

"Just a friend of her mother's. Don't worry about it."

 **Shift P.O.V**

Noriko had trouble recalling whether or not she had ever been angry with him before. If she had, surely it had been over something minor. At least, minor compared to this. "You…wanted me to quite being a hero. So you sent a form to the Hero Association, claiming that it was filled out by me, saying that I wanted to quit?" Her hands curled into fists and she was suddenly tempted to bite something.

"I told you she would be mad," Saitama remarked.

"I want you to stay safe. I know that you want to be a hero, but-" Genos saw the fury in her eyes and frowned. They were in the street in front of the apartment, having been on their way home when he finally blurted out the news. "Noriko, I want you to understand that I did this to keep you safe. You will not be getting your swords back, either."

"You think that keeping my weapons from me will keep me _safe_?!" Noriko's sharp green eyes burned with a fury that neither of her friends had ever seen directed at them before.

A pair of gold and black eyes burned back into hers with determination and a strange sternness. "You are not going to fight anyone anymore so why would you need your swords?" Genos turned away and started toward the apartment building.

The girl was beginning to shake with anger. "You…can't tell me what to do! You can't stop me from fighting monsters and villains, Genos!"

He paused briefly to look at her over his shoulder. "I can and I will. I am not letting you put yourself in danger again. If you are in any danger, I will be there to protect you, Noriko."

Saitama watched this exchange and sighed. "Genos, I told you not to do this."

"I will do whatever it takes to keep Noriko safe."

Noriko bared her fangs in anger. "I don't need you to keep me safe!" She blinked in alarm when she suddenly found her body being shoved back against a wall, metal fingers digging into her shoulders as he stared down at her. "Genos…I'm serious. I don't want this! I want to be a hero! It's important to me that I protect people! You _know_ that!"

"I do know. I also know that if you died, I would not be able to go on. This is why I am making it my mission to protect you. Do you understand now?" His face drew closer to hers, stopping just an inch away. "Noriko. Answer the question."

She felt her face turning pink from how close he was, but her anger overshadowed any embarrassment she might feel. Her heart racing, she narrowed her eyes and hissed. "I understand what you're saying, but I won't accept it. Maybe we should end this."

"Fine. We will end this discussion for now."

"I didn't mean the conversation…I meant _us_. If you can't handle me being a hero, then maybe we shouldn't be together. Fighting to protect other people is important to me. You turned in that resignation without even considering my feelings, didn't you? You want to keep me safe, but not happy. I can't accept that. I'm sorry." Noriko tried to pull out of his hold, but his grip tightened on her shoulders, making her wince.

"I cannot accept that. If it means so much to you-"

"Look…just the fact that you went behind my back like that…" She bowed her head, unable to meet his gaze any longer. _I don't want to break up with him. I love him. But if he's going to act like this and make decisions about my life without even asking me how I feel, then maybe we really shouldn't be together._

"Noriko, we will compromise." He saw her shake her head, locks of dark violet hair falling over her eyes. "I do not want to lose you. We can find a compromise. I only wanted to keep you safe." He released her left shoulder and lifted her chin so he could see her face. The girl's eyes shone with tears, her lips twisted into a frown. "Noriko…"

"I can't do this right now." She slipped out of his hold and walked past him into the building. Hearing Saitama behind her, she slid her hands into her pockets to hide their trembling. "I don't want to break up with him," she said, her voice just above a whisper. They were inside now, out of his earshot.

Saitama glanced toward the door and rubbed the back of his head. "You didn't have to break up with him. I mean, you guys could just take a break. It doesn't have to be permanent. I'm not trying to say you should totally forgive him; I tried to tell him that you'd be mad. He did have your best interest at heart though. When you got shocked by your swords, he thought you were going to die and he wouldn't let you out of his sight until you woke up. Like, literally. He just sat there with you on his lap and whenever he had to move, he carried you with him."

Noriko rummaged around in her bag once they were in the apartment and withdrew her phone, wallet, and a bundle of black cloth that she knew she would need if she wanted everything to go smoothly. "I'm going out."

"What, _again_? Where are you going now? Do you want me to go with you?"

"I'm going to look for a job. Since I apparently quit being a hero," she said with a hint of spite. "Can you tell Genos that we're just taking a break? I can't face him right now."

The man stared vacantly for a moment as she made her way to the bathroom. "You're slipping out the window again?"

"I can't face him right now," she repeated, her expression one of despair. "Just tell him. Please. I shouldn't be gone for too long." Noriko made her way down to the street from the bathroom window and looked around carefully. _No sign of him out here. I just need to be careful._ She sprinted down alleyways, avoiding the larger streets for fear of him seeing her. Once she was in the more populated part of City Z, she paused at a street corner to get her bearings. _I didn't graduate high school or even junior high so I know that a normal job is out of the question. No one will want to hire someone like me for an office or store job._

Traveling down the street, she tried to remember which way was correct. She knew that she would need money soon. She had plans for Koneko and the idea of having her own apartment was becoming more and more appealing. _I could let Koneko live there, too. I need to get her warm clothes for the winter. But first, I need to be able to earn enough. I gave a pretty big chunk of my hero pay to Saitama for rent and expenses. There aren't many ways for a girl like me to make money so my options are limited to this and…other things. I won't lower myself to that level. I can barely stand lowering myself to this one._ Pausing at the building, she frowned and checked her wallet again. Taking a deep breath, she entered the shop with reluctance.

 **Shift P.O.V**

Opening the door, he immediately sensed a presence. "Whoever you are, you picked the wrong day to try to ambush me," he stated in a bored tone. Sonic turned on the light and raised an eyebrow. "Haven't we done this before? And if I remember right, didn't it end badly for you?" Despite his teasing, the sight of her made his heart skip a beat. When she had been shocked by her swords and collapsed, he had been so enraged that he had forgotten to check and make sure she was alive. Now here she was, waiting patiently for him to come home. He was glad, but also a little unsettled. _Does she know that I saw her daughter today?_

Noriko was sitting on his futon, her back against the wall and a battered, mismatched pair of sheathed swords at her feet. She looked to him with half-closed green eyes and grimaced. "Where have you been?"

"Why are you in my hideout?"

"This is an _apartment_ ," she corrected him, pushing herself to stand. "I need work. Can you help me?"

He smirked and crossed the room to meet her. "You should know that I won't help you for _free_. Mind explaining why you broke into my apartment looking for work? I thought you were dead-set on staying a hero and protecting people. What's with the change of heart? Do you really miss me that much?" he taunted.

The girl looked pained for a moment, but she quickly turned her face to the side in an effort to hide her expression. "I'll pay you. Just help me get work. Please."

Sonic crossed his arms, giving her a quick glance up and down. _She looks like she's alright, even though it's only been a few days since she got hurt. Wait. Is she wearing that dress?_ He smirked, realizing that she was indeed wearing the dress she had been wearing when she escaped weeks before. Wrapping an arm around her to draw her against him, he leaned his face in close to hers. "If I take you with me to do a job, you follow my rules. Understand?"

"I want to work alone. I don't want help."

"That isn't how this works. You'll either accept my terms or you can forget about getting work. Actually, since I have you here again, who's to say that I'll even let you go now? I could keep you here if I wanted to. What would your precious _boyfriend_ think about that?" He felt her tense and mistook it for fear, but soon felt her body tremble. Tears shone in her eyes and she quickly looked away. "What? Did he break up with you?"

"I don't want to talk about it. Please. Just help me find work. I'll follow your rules, okay? I just…need to work." Her voice was very soft, her eyes shifting away from his whenever he tried to make her meet his gaze.

"Fine." Sonic released her and moved across the room to look for his bodysuit and armor. "I'm meeting someone tonight that wanted to hire me for a job. I'll take you with me; it will be over quicker if I have you there." When he located his clothes, he glanced over his shoulder at the catgirl. Her ears were flattened in melancholy, her tail lay limply, and she was fidgeting with her dress's hem anxiously. _What happened? And why do I care if she's upset? So what if they broke up? That makes things easier for me._ He started to change clothes, smirking when she blushed. "Are those secondhand blades sharp enough?"

Noriko unsheathed one and frowned. She tilted her head, running a fingertip along the blade. "…probably not…"

"I don't want to have to worry about protecting you. If we have a job to do, I'm going to get it done whether or not you're okay so tell me you can manage on your own if you have to." The ninja was finishing dressing now and handed her a spare blade that he had lying around.

"Er…y-yeah. I can manage." She was given a few more blades, which she secured to her waist with a belt that he offered. "Hn. Thanks, Sonic."

Seeing her blush made his face feel weirdly warm so he quickly looked away. "I just don't want to have to worry about you. Alright, so you have decent weapons now. One more thing." He located a hooded jacket on the floor and tossed it to her. "Cover up your cat ears. You don't want anyone to know who you are. Trust me. There's nothing we can do about your tail, but we'll worry about that later. Now let's go. The sooner we get this done, the sooner I can get my payment for helping you."


	49. Chapter 49

"I thought you worked alone. And is that Samurai Catgirl?"

Noriko tugged at her hood to further hide her face in shadow. She had gone with Sonic to meet with a temporary employer. They were now standing in a very tall, more or less abandoned, building and talking with a man in a suit. Her sharp green eyes narrowed on him from within the hood and she used every ounce of control to keep her tail from moving behind her. _What would he do if he knew it was me? Would he report me to the Hero Association? But what we're doing here is pretty shady. Telling on me would out him, wouldn't it?_

Sonic saw her silently tilt her head from the corner of his eye. "I normally work alone, but tonight I have a partner. Is that going to be a problem?"

"No, I guess not. I've heard that you work fast. Is your partner as fast as you are?"

"If it's a question of efficiency, they're almost as efficient as I am."

"Right…" The man peered at the girl again in the dimly lit area. They were standing in the lobby of the building he had recently purchased, hoping to repurpose it as an office building or apartments. He was quietly trying to determine whether or not he should forget about employing the two assassins and just run. After all, the girl seemed to have a dark aura and he already knew that Speed o' Sound Sonic was dangerous. "There are squatters. Gangs. They took over this building before I bought it so I was hoping to have you clear it out. By any means necessary. Do we have a deal?"

"Stop looking at her. You're discussing this with _me_. Are we talking about the same price that we talked about on the phone?" Sonic tried to draw the man's attention away from Noriko again. Though he was not entirely sure of what would happen if the man knew her identity, he was not about to risk her going to prison.

"Yes, of course. Having her help won't cost extra?"

"Not today. This is a one-time deal though so don't expect her to join me next time for no additional costs." He glanced around the room and smirked. "You won't want to be here for this. So why don't you run along? We'll call you when we're finished. You have someone to clean up the mess, right?"

"Of course." The man stared past Sonic at the girl once more. "Are you sure that isn't Samurai Catgirl? Why does she have a tail?"

"I told you before. This is my partner. Hina. She's into cosplay." He saw Noriko nod within her hood. "Can we get started now or do you want to keep asking stupid questions?"

When the man had gone, Noriko sighed in relief. "Hn…are they always so nosey?"

"We're dealing with people that are too weak or too lazy to deal with a problem themselves. They're always nosey and they're always annoying. Now listen to me. I know you're not stupid so I'm letting you handle yourself. We'll split up and take different floors. Only call for me if you think you're going to die. Understand?"

"Alright. Are we meeting back here when we're done?" She saw him nod and smirked. "I'm going then. I'll take the even floors." Noriko ran to the utility stairs by herself, the ninja passing her easily, and began to search for her prey.

Each person she came across made her heart beat a little faster and made her question herself a little more. While the human part of her knew that it was wrong to be killing these people, the cat part of her was immensely satisfied with hunting and killing prey. _These blades that Sonic loaned me are weird though_ , she thought as she slashed a man's throat. _They're not as long as my swords so I have to get closer to do enough damage. It's a little unnerving._ The girl shifted sharply to avoid a bullet and drove the blade deep into her attacker's gut. When she twisted the knife, the man gave a horrific shriek that made her wince. "Quiet." With her other hand, she slashed his throat and then leapt back, yanking both blades from his body.

The last floor was the worst. There were at least two dozen men waiting at the final floor and most of them were armed. She got a few cuts and bruises, but in the end she managed to kill all of them. Standing over the largest, she drove a blade into his chest for good measure and frowned. _I don't like that this makes my heart race. I don't like that I'm doing this. I really don't like…that this feels…natural._ When she pulled the blade free, a few drops of blood speckled her cheek. A look down at her clothes made her grimace. "Hn…I got blood all over his jacket."

As she started back down the stairs to the lobby, she tried to get her pulse back to normal. The smell of blood was still heavy in the air and it filled her with exhilaration. Shaking her head, she pulled her hood back up to hide her feline ears. _What's wrong with me? I'm supposed to be a hero and here I am…killing for money. Moonlighting as an assassin. And for what? So I can afford stuff for Koneko. I'm pathetic._

Sonic was waiting for her in the lobby and actually appeared rather bored until he saw the look in her eyes. Smirking, he walked over to her. "Was that fun for you?"

"Sh-shut up. I can't help my feline instincts," she muttered, looking away. "So…can we go now? I want to wash off this blood."

"Well, you're in luck." He nodded toward the window, directing her gaze to the downpour outside. "I'm carrying you back and I'll give you your portion of the payment. We just have to wait for that fool to come back. I called him as soon as I finished the top floor. We're the only two living things in this building right now."

The man returned, eyes wide at the sight of the hooded girl covered in blood and the ninja's terrifying grin. He wordlessly handed some money to Sonic and excused himself. Noriko was reluctant to let Sonic carry her, but knew that it would take longer if she ran on her own. The rain was cold when it struck her skin and she shivered as they began to move through it. She could feel it soaking through the jacket she wore, running in icy droplets down her spine. Pressing closer against Sonic, she could feel the warmth radiating from his skin through his clothes. Blood rushed to her cheeks and she frowned. _That's right. I owe him now, don't I?_

By the time they returned to Sonic's hideout, they were both completely soaked. Noriko scowled, standing near the door and shivering while he set about putting everything away. She gritted her teeth to keep them from chattering. Wrapping her arms around herself, she kept her eyes on the floor. _If I take too long getting home, I know that Genos will look for me. Even after what happened…I just know that he won't let me be gone for too long._ Thinking about Genos made her chest feel tight. Biting her lip, she tried not to think about what he had done.

The man looked at her over his shoulder and frowned. Having finished putting everything away, he now began contemplating his next move. Throughout their task in the abandoned building, he had considered his options. He could take his payment from her and then refuse to let her leave. He could take his payment and then let her return to her boyfriend. Either way, he intended to take what he was owed by her. Seeing her bite her lip and shiver, he felt a smirk begin to grow on his lips. "You look cold."

"I-I'm freezing…s-so if you c-can just…give me my share…" she stammered, still staring at the floor. She could feel goose bumps raising on her skin beneath the dress and jacket. Her tail and hair were dripping, her ears drawn back in her discomfort. When she felt a warm hand beneath her chin, she grimaced. He lifted her face so her eyes met his grey ones, lips twisting into a smirk as he looked down at her. "S-Sonic…I'm…s-serious!"

"You still owe me. Or did you forget already? Don't worry; I'll warm you up." He leaned down to the side of her neck, lips briefly pressing against her cold skin. Kissing along her neck, he gradually made his way to her lips. Without breaking the kiss, he unzipped the jacket and slid it off of her. Noriko pressed her hands against his chest in a halfhearted attempt at pushing him away. Her touch sent a pleasant shiver down his spine and he wrapped an arm around her waist.

She growled at the back of her throat, angry at herself for getting into this situation yet again. _Every time. Why? I know that I shouldn't have agreed to this. I know I should hate him. But every time we're together, something like this ends up happening. Except for that time he stabbed me in the tail._ His body heat drew her closer and she put her arms around his neck. Her teeth closed on his lower lip, biting down lightly in frustration.

He smirked into the kiss and shifted his hand lower, squeezing her bottom until she released his lip. Stepping back, he started to get undressed. Sonic saw her cheeks starting to turn red and it fed his craving for her. Seeing her shiver and blush made him want to tear the dress off of the girl. The urge became stronger when he saw her looking at him. "Something you want?"

"Hn…you're annoying." Noriko forced her eyes to stay locked on his now. Even then, she could see his toned chest from the edge of her vision and it made her subconsciously rub her thighs together, feeling tingly. Her gaze hardened into a glare, her mouth turning down at the corners. "I hate you."

In an instant, he had her back pressed against the door. His fingers threaded into her long violet hair and his hips pushed tightly against hers. "You know you can't resist me," he taunted.

"Like you could resist me," she argued.

"Maybe I don't want to." Sonic was soon dropping her onto his futon and pulling her dress off of her. The girl lay beneath him, blushing and attempting to cover herself. "Don't you think it's a little late to be acting modest?"

She started to growl again and leaned up to cover his mouth with hers. His hands went behind her back, unlatching her bra so he could draw it off of her. When he broke the kiss, she turned her head and closed her eyes. His fingers went beneath the waist of her panties and drew them down her legs slowly. _Damn it. I hate this! Why can't I just hate him and have that be that?!_ She felt the warm head of his member pressing against her wet lower lips and gritted her teeth, determined not to make a sound.

He thrust in hard and held her hips tightly when she arched her back. Sonic saw her mouth open in a silent moan, but it was far from satisfying. Feeling the girl's warm skin against his own felt good. Even better was the way her warm opening gripped him. "I want to hear you scream my name, Noriko. By the time I'm done, it's going to be the only thing you're able to say." He pulled out a little and thrust back in, watching her throw her head back.

Noriko dug her fingers into the futon beneath her, trying not to look at him. If she did, she knew that things would only be worse. A hand was suddenly cupping her breast, fingertips skimming over her nipple before gently squeezing it. "Ngh! Aaaaah~" She silently swore, cursing herself for displaying her pleasure.

"You know, I really don't like it when you're quiet," he teased. The man's hips paused, his member buried deep within her. He tugged at the peak of her breast and was pleased when her hips began to grind against his. Looking down at her bare skin, he could see every scar from their fight with the monster. His gaze settled on one large, circular scar at the center of her chest. He instantly remembered the day she had acquired it. The day that he first saw her. Not that he was about to get sentimental about it; true love was a stupid idea in his opinion. Instant attraction was another story.

She saw a mischievous look cross his features and barely had time to guess what he was about to do before he opened his mouth and let his tongue flick over her nipple. The warm, wet sensation forced a moan from her and she could feel her opening grow wetter. When he drew back and thrust into her again, there was a wet sound that made her blush. He repeated the action, licking the peak of her breast with the tip of his tongue and watching her reactions. Noriko hated it, but she could feel herself being pushed closer to the edge of orgasm with each flick of his tongue. Her fingers threaded into his hair and she pushed her hips up to meet his.

Sonic felt her muscles tighten around him, coating his cock with her juices. It drew him dangerously close to a climax, but he forced himself to hold out. Leaning up to her feline ear, he very lightly nipped at it. "Doesn't it feel good? Having skin against your skin? Stretching you open like this and filling you up?" he hissed.

"Ngh~ You…think you're the only one that can talk that way?" Noriko shifted sharply so that she was straddling his waist, the man now on his back. She ran her fingertips down his chest and saw him smirk. Leaning down to his ear, she ground her hips against his. "Doesn't it feel good? Being this deep inside of me? Feeling me grip onto you and get you wet?"

"You act like you got this wet on your own," he taunted. Gripping her hips, he thrust up sharply into her. She threw her head back, fangs flashing briefly before she leaned down once more. He knew what would come next. It was easy to guess. Her fangs sank lightly into the side of his neck, her breasts pressed tightly against his chest. While it did hurt, it also sent a strange rush of pleasure through him. Sonic continued to thrust into her, drawing moans from her that were muffled against his flesh. When she finally withdrew her fangs, he pulled her lips to his.

She closed her eyes and let her body move subconsciously, moving in reaction to the man's actions. He began hitting a spot deep within her that made her squirm in pleasure. Noriko's heart raced as a ball of tension grew in her lower half. With each thrust, it tightened more and more to an almost unbearable level. Feeling his bare flesh against hers, his hands wandering along her sides and skimming over her breasts, filled her with warmth. She felt her opening grow wetter, coating him each time he entered her. The girl's lips moved against his, her arms going around his neck to keep him close.

When her muscles tightened around him in climax, she finally broke the kiss. "Ngh! Sonic~" Her body tensed as she felt him thrust into her a final time, filling her with his warm seed. She leaned her forehead against his shoulder, biting her lip as she felt it leaking out of her. "Sonic…I…I need to…"

"You're not leaving until I say you can leave." His arms locked around her waist, holding her in place. She immediately started to struggle, panic clear in her sharp green eyes. "Don't look so worried. I'll let you go back tonight."

She relaxed in his hold and felt his heart beating rapidly in his chest beneath her. The girl frowned down at him before rubbing her cheek against the side of his neck. _As much as I want to hate him, I know I can't. Should I just accept that? But how can I?_ Her thoughts went back to how he had acted when she said she needed work. He was more than happy to let her help him with his job. _He gave me some weapons and…it's like he just had faith in my ability to protect myself. Why? Why can't Genos think that way?_

Sonic ran a hand down her spine and was slightly startled when she arched her back. Her hips thrust hard against his, a moaning sort of yowl leaving her. "What was that?" he taunted. Rubbing over the spot again, he smirked. "You want more? Is that it?"

"N-no! It's…it's just a cat thing…now let me get up…"


	50. Chapter 50

_I can't let that happen again. The next time I need a job, I'll just have to find some other way._ Noriko had gone out with Sonic on two more jobs that week and was now waking up on the floor of Saitama's apartment. Staring up at the ceiling, she sighed quietly. In a perfect world, she would avoid Sonic and he would honor her wishes to be left alone. Rubbing her face, the girl could feel her lips drawing down into a frown. _In a perfect world, I wouldn't be part cat and my family wouldn't be dead. And neither would his_ , she thought as she glanced over at Genos. He was awake and cleaning in the kitchen.

When she knew that it was obvious to her roommates that she had awoken, she pushed herself to sit up and ruffled her long violet hair. "Hn…morning."

"You were out kind of late again. Was it for your new job?" Saitama asked from across the table.

"S-sort of." Noriko shifted her eyes away and bit her thumbnail. _If you can call that a job. I did temporary assassin work and even then, I had to pay to be able to get that work. That isn't very efficient._ Remembering how Sonic's body had felt against hers, she began to blush profusely. Bowing her head allowed locks of her hair to fall and hide her red cheeks.

"Whoa, what are you so embarrassed about? What kind of job is it?"

"I spoke with the Hero Association," Genos interrupted. "They agreed to void the request for termination, but it will take a week and your pay will still be withheld until the last day of this month."

"Did you tell them what happened?" Saitama gave him a blank stare and raised an eyebrow when the blonde looked away. "You didn't? So what did you tell them?"

"I told them that Noriko had a change of heart. This is not important. What is important is that she can fight again starting next week. Does this make you happy, Noriko?"

She stood and stretched, glancing his way. "Hn….it doesn't completely make up for the fact that you went behind my back and tried to force me to quit my job." The girl pulled a hooded sweatshirt on over her tank top and walked past him into the kitchen, intending to make breakfast. Her tail shifted in irritation behind her as she looked for ingredients, feeling his gaze on her. "Do you need something?"

"Hey, so what kind of job did you find?" Saitama spoke up again, trying to break the tension. He joined them in the kitchen area, a bit wary of how Genos was staring at the girl.

 _I can't tell them that I was out killing people with Sonic last night. Even without mentioning that I slept with him, it still sounds really bad._ Biting her lip, she tried to shrug nonchalantly. "It's…just a café. That's all."

"Which café? We'll come see you at work."

On the inside, she began to curse herself for creating such a simple and potentially transparent lie. "Uh…it's that one in City K. Pink Café. It's really girly so you won't want to go there," she said, hoping beyond hope that he would agree to not go there.

"I believe I saw an article about that café just opening. The newspaper said that it is supposed to be a good place to visit. Master Saitama, we can visit Noriko at work the next day that she has to go," Genos stated.

 _Of course! Of course you've heard of it! Of course it has to be a real place! Damn it!_ Forcing a shy sort of smile, she turned to her roommates. "Y-you really shouldn't go there. Either of you. It would be embarrassing."

"What? No way! I bet you look really cute in whatever uniform they have. Alright, so when do you have work again?"

"T-tomorrow afternoon." Noriko could feel her heart racing as she began to make plans to go to the café and beg for a job, even if it was only for one day.

"Tomorrow it is. You're free tomorrow afternoon, right, Genos?"

"Yes. I have no plans tomorrow afternoon."

The girl tried to focus on cooking and heard one set of footsteps retreating back to the other room. It might have brought her comfort if it were not for the intense stare burning into her back as she cooked. _What does he want me to say? I'm not going to forgive him that easily. He's always been overly protective. He treated Mumen Rider like some sort of pervert just for being friends with me. He tried to make me quit being a hero by giving me no say in the matter._ Her ears drew back in anger as she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

Any sense of calm that she might have felt was shattered when she felt a hard metal arm wrap around her waist from behind, drawing her tightly against his front while his free hand covered her mouth. Her first instinct was to fight him, but she froze in place when she felt his lips near her right feline ear. Feeling a light puff of warm air, she quivered and her face turned bright red behind his hand. Noriko tilted her head back so her green eyes met his gold and black ones. Before she could wonder what his next move would be, his hand released her mouth and moved lower. Metal fingertips trailed delicately over her throat and rested there. "…G-Genos…?"

"What will it take to make you forgive me and start talking to me again? Having you ignore me is almost as painful as having you gone." Though he said all of this bluntly and with a straight face, there was a hint of pain behind the words.

She narrowed her eyes and frowned. "It's…not that easy. And it's not even completely about you trying to make me quit being a hero. You're getting more and more protective. It makes me feel like you think I can't take care of myself. And besides…you can do better."

"You are the only one that I want and I want to protect you. I never want to see you hurt again so I did what I thought would keep you safe. I still do not want you to continue fighting monsters." He leaned down and caught her lips with his before she could argue with him. When he felt that she was sufficiently distracted, his hand trailed down from her throat to the hem of her sweatshirt. She tensed against him, her tail twitching in agitation as his fingers moved up her outer thigh. Her teeth nipped at his lower lip lightly in an effort to make him pull away, but he simply deepened the kiss.

Noriko shivered when she felt cold, metal fingertips suddenly at her inner thigh. Her eyes clenched shut at the sudden pressure against her warm lower lips and her hips bucked forward subconsciously. _What is he doing? Saitama is right in the next room! And we're supposed to be taking a break in our relationship!_ Very slowly, the divider of her panties was pulled aside and two fingertips rubbed along her warm flesh, gathering her juices. She gripped the kitchen counter tightly, sinking her nails in and finally dragged her lips from his. Gritting her teeth, she bowed her head and felt his fingers push past her lower lips. Her opening stretched around them, gradually getting them wetter as he pulled out a little and pushed back in.

She tried to steady her breathing, but was becoming increasingly aware of the fact that he was trying hard to get a reaction from her. The girl's hand gripped his wrist in a futile effort to make him stop, but his strength far exceeded her own. She chose to cover her mouth instead of wasting her energy on trying to halt his actions.

He pressed his thumb against her clit, rubbing circles over it in a slow and sensual way that soon had her grinding her hips back against his own. When she had told Saitama to tell him that they were taking a break in their relationship, he was unsure of what exactly that meant. Apparently it meant not sleeping beside her and having her speak to him less than usual. Even if these things seemed small, they felt like significant losses. Worse was watching her sit with his master during the day. That small pang of jealousy he had felt before was beginning to come back and he hated that he felt this way when his master was involved. Genos slid his arm from around her waist and was glad when she remained standing there in front of him. He continued to push his digits in and out of her, enjoying the warmth that radiated from within her and the juices that coated his fingers. Leaning down to her feline ear again, he smirked. "Master Saitama is in the next room. If you make a sound, you will risk drawing his attention."

 _Wait…what?_ Noriko's eyes opened wide when she felt his fingers leave her, replaced something larger. "Hn…ngh…" Small, very soft sounds escaped her lips as she felt her opening stretch around his member. Her gaze fixed upon the counter, her nails digging into the hard surface as he drew back a little. She bit her lip to silence herself when he pushed back into her, putting an arm across the front of her waist to hold her in place. _What is he thinking?! Even if I don't make any noises, he might! And even if he doesn't, Saitama will wonder why we're taking so long! What if he walks in on us?_

Genos could feel her wet opening gripping him tightly as he nearly slid out, only to thrust back into her roughly. Her body was shaking in his hold and she seemed to jolt when he pushed his free hand up her sweatshirt. His fingers went beneath her tank top and he soon felt her breast pressing firmly against his palm. He could feel a groan trying to work its way free from him so he kissed along the side of her neck in an effort to muffle the sound. "…Noriko…"

"Aaahh…G-Genos…w-we shouldn't…do this right here," she hissed. Each kiss seemed to send waves of heat and desire through her entire body. She ground her hips back against his as her upper half seemed to be drawing closer and closer to the counter until she was bent over its edge. His right hand kneaded her breast while the left wove its way into her dark violet hair. _This is bad though! We shouldn't be doing this! We're supposed to be taking a break!_

The blonde could feel his control wavering. Though he wanted to take it slow and savor this experience, there was a certain need gnawing at him. Not to mention that he did want to finish before Saitama inevitably wandered over to see why they were taking so long. As much as he liked feeling her soft hair beneath his fingertips, he shifted his hold to her hips and leaned down to her ear. "I cannot keep going at this pace. I am going to go fast and hard. Try not to make a sound. No matter what happens, I am going to finish this."

Her heart raced upon hearing these words and her jaw muscles clenched the instant he started to hammer his hips into the back of hers. She could feel his cock sliding in deeper, hitting harder each time he thrust into her opening. His speed created enough friction that she was soon squirming, coming undone as pleasure flooded her senses. Her knees buckled as she clenched around him, but he tightened his hold on her waist and kept her from falling to the floor. Behind her, Genos stood watching the girl with a sense of satisfaction. She tensed when she felt a cold cheek rub against the back of her neck and she blushed, realizing that he was trying to be affectionate the way she often was. A low purring started at the back of her throat, followed by a muffled moan when he started to kiss her neck.

"Uh…just what the _hell_ are you guys doing in the kitchen?"

Before Noriko could look over and react, Genos put a hand over her eyes and frowned. "Master Saitama, please allow me to finish this."

"Seriously?! This is _my_ apartment and you guys are doing something like that right here, knowing I'm home!"

Noriko listened to them argue back and forth, moderately amazed that Genos continued to thrust into her as he spoke. _How is Saitama being here not a turn off for him?_ A moaning yowl forced its way from her lips and she threw her head back. "D-damn it! Aaah~" She bowed her head, her face turning a bright shade of her pink. The man behind her tensed and pushed into her one last time before withdrawing completely. She sank to the floor and ran her fingers through her hair, panting. To her absolute horror, Saitama was still standing in the doorway. "I-I'm sorry…I didn't mean for something like that to happen. Genos, it is his apartment. And…you know we're supposed to be taking a break from-"

"I was certain that you forgave me and that we were done with that," Genos bluntly replied. "Are you still angry?"

"You…thought that make up s-sex…in the kitchen…"

"So you have not forgiven me?" he challenged her. He leaned down and lifted her in his arms with very little effort, ignoring the way she struggled to try to break free. "Do I need to do more to get you to forgive me?" The cyborg sat on the floor with her on his lap, facing him.

"Genos…" She scowled, but she blushed pink when he kissed her. _He really wants me to forgive him, but I'm not ready yet. We have a lot to work through before I'm ready to forgive him and end this break._

Saitama, still irked about seeing the two in such a compromising position in his kitchen, grudgingly sat across the room from them. "I told you how uncomfortable that makes me."

"Master Saitama, you said that it makes you feel lonely when we do things like that. I thought that if you were unable to see it, you would not feel left out."

"Can you not say it like that? That makes it sound like I…" He shook his head in disgust. "Ugh. Anyway, why aren't you back together? It's almost been a week. Haven't you guys talked about it at all?"

Noriko moved so she sat beside Genos instead of in his lap, attempting to curl into a ball to hide her embarrassment. "Hn…I haven't had time. I've been working."

"What is there to talk about? I told you that I only did it to protect you," the blonde argued. "Is there more that is bothering you?"

"Th-the way you always treat Mumen Rider! Like he's…some kind of pervert or something. He's just my friend. I'd never leave you for him, Genos." She felt her phone buzzing in her sweatshirt pocket and instantly knew who it was. A certain ninja, calling with another job for her to help him with. _Not answering that. I know what he really wants and I'm not going through that today. Especially not with that whole mess about that café. I don't want to work there, but if I'm not there when these two show up tomorrow, they'll know something's wrong._

"I do not trust him." It was a simple statement and easily summed up his feelings. Even if the cyclist did act awkward around her, almost fearful at times, Genos could not help but feel that he could have an ulterior motive. "Not to mention that he cannot protect you if you are in danger."

"I can protect myself." Noriko sighed and went to her bag, digging around for clean clothes. She knew that if she wanted to beg the café for a job, she would need to leave before the lunch rush. "Breakfast is on the counter. I'll be back later." The girl moved to leave the apartment, but the door was pushed shut when she tried to open it. She turned quickly, intending to snap at Genos for stopping her from leaving, but his mouth covered hers before she had the chance to speak. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she growled when she felt him smirk.

"You guys are really starting to bum me out. Can you take that somewhere else? Like, right now? I have stuff to do," Saitama spoke up.


	51. Chapter 51

It took a decent amount of pleading, but Noriko managed to get a waitress job at the café. When she showed up the next day, she was handed a uniform and had to remind herself that it was only for a short time. _Genos said that the Hero Association will have the paperwork processed by next week, right? So this is temporary._ She changed into the uniform and grimaced. The café owner had been hesitant to hire her, worried that she might attract rat monsters, but when she promised to keep the café intact they became ecstatic.

Walking through the dining area, the catgirl tried to keep a small and professional smile on her face. A majority of the other employees were also female, but a few were male. Upon being introduced to everyone, a few people had asked for autographs. She humored them and signed slips of paper with little personalized messages to them. The customers were almost as bad as the other servers. They wanted pictures with her, but the café owner refused to allow it.

Noriko pitied her coworkers. The other girls were less experienced with dodging when a person grabbed for them. _This is pretty bad. The owner doesn't seem to care too much, either. And he said that if I have an altercation with a customer, I'll have to go._ She sighed and shook her head. There were many things she disliked about this job, but she had to keep reminding herself that it was only temporary.

When her roommates finally showed up, she smiled shyly and blushed. "Hn…good afternoon, can I get you a table or booth?" she greeted them, her heart racing. _This is so embarrassing! And the owner's watching. I already got scolded once for not following that stupid rule on how to address customers!_

Saitama and Genos had expected something entirely different. From the way she had described the café, it sounded like a place where women would go. Instead, a majority of the customers seemed to be either men or the occasional middle-aged woman. It was instantly easy to see why it was this way; the uniforms were a bit provocative. Noriko's seemed to be worse than the others though. Her uniform consisted of a tight-fitting tank top with a heart cutout on the chest to display her cleavage, the hem hugging her ribs just below her breasts. The bottom half was a pair of very tight shorts with frills, another heart cutout just above her rear to let her tail thread through the fabric. Her usual black boots were replaced with a pair of short white boots to match the color of her uniform.

"Uh…so what made you pick this place?" Saitama asked, walking behind her toward a table. Despite his best efforts, his eyes were drawn to the heart cutout above her bottom. This, in turn, drew his attention to the way her hips swayed when she walked.

She could feel herself being watched and knew immediately that Genos was glancing at the other male customers to make sure they were looking away from her. _I'm actually glad that they're here now. It's sort of a relief._ Turning toward them when they reached the table, she felt her heart beating faster. The owner was giving her a warning look now. "So what can I get you, M-Master Saitama? Master Genos?"

The combined image of her in the uniform along with her blush and the way she spoke those words broke both of her roommates. They had taken seats at the table, but now they shared a glance and nodded. Saitama effortlessly put the catgirl over his shoulder and started for the door. "We're done here."

"Wait a minute! You can't just take my employee! She's our biggest attraction right now!" the owner protested.

Genos blocked him from following Saitama outside, giving the man a hard glare. "She no longer works here. Consider this her resignation. Where are her other clothes?"

"I-I think they're in the locker room, but she just started here! She can't just quit!"

He grabbed the front of the man's shirt and felt the man begin to tremble. "Maybe you did not hear what Master Saitama said. We are done here. Bring me her other clothes."

Noriko saw this take place from over Saitama's shoulder, her face bright red. _This is even more embarrassing than having to call all of the male customers 'master', but at least I'm done working here! I just wish I could have at least gotten a paycheck._ When they were outside, she frowned and looked at her friend over her shoulder. "Wh-what was that all about?"

"Why are you working at a place like this? I'm pretty sure it's a fetish café."

She was set down so she stood beside him and bowed her head. "Hn…well I didn't finish junior high or high school so I don't have a lot of options. The owner said he'd hire me so…"

"Was that just the normal greeting? That whole 'master' thing?"

"Y-yeah. I think. The owner told me to say it, but…now that I think about it, I'm not sure the other girls were doing that. Damn it. It was weird, wasn't it?" Noriko covered her face, trying to hide her blush. She peeked through her fingers when she felt an arm wrap around her.

"Well, yeah it was weird. But it was pretty cute, too. You can't call someone that, while wearing that outfit, without expecting some kind of reaction," he explained. Drawing her close against his side, he glanced over his shoulder into the café. Genos was still attempting to get someone to retrieve Noriko's clothes. When he felt the girl fidgeting, he sighed. "Look, I'm not doing this for any reason other than to keep guys from staring at you. Not that the view from right here isn't nice."

Wrapping her arms around herself, she snickered quietly. "You're funny."

"What? I guess." Saitama was glad when Genos finally joined them outside, holding the bag that she had left the apartment with that morning. "So she quit?"

"Yes. I believe the café owner and I came to an understanding."

They both looked past him into the café and saw the man cowering in a corner. "Okay. So that's settled, right? Let's go home."

"Master Saitama, we will meet you there. I would like some time alone with Noriko."

"Huh? I don't think so. I mean, you probably want to go home and change clothes, right?" he asked, turning back to Noriko. "Not that you don't look cute in that, Nya-chan."

They returned to City Z and the catgirl searched through her bag for clean clothes. _The ones I brought will just remind me of having to talk to that creepy café owner._ She felt eyes burning a hole in her and lifted her gaze to find both roommates looking at her. "Wh-what?"

"Nya-chan, you didn't bend over like that at the café, right?"

"Hn…of course not. Why?" Realization slowly set in and her face turned bright pink. _My chest! Of course. Damn it. I hate being this way! It's so inconvenient!_ Trying her best to regain her composure, she straightened and moved toward the bathroom. "I-I'm going to go change."

A hand shot out to grab her wrist, effectively stopping her. "Hey, wait a second. Can you do something first?"

"Wh-what is it?" she asked, her voice full of suspicion. Noriko knelt on the floor, not sure of what to expect. _What kind of bizarre request does he have? He better not…_

"It's really important. Can you say it again?"

She tilted her head, frowning. "Um…how is it special though? Genos always call you that. Wasn't it a little more special when I said 'Master Genos'?" Seeing his expression turn serious, she sighed. Her ears flattened and her tail shifted behind her. "M-Master Saitama…" The girl's eyes widened when his arms drew her against his chest, smiling in his usual dopey fashion. _What? Was it really that important?_

"See? It's cuter when _you_ say it. Now say 'meow'."

"No." She was released and she stood, her face a vibrant pink. Her eyes met the gold and black ones of Genos and she quickly looked away as she started toward the bathroom again. Changing clothes took very little time, but she lingered in the bathroom for a moment. _I can't. I can't date Genos again. That's just it, isn't it? I keep getting calls from Sonic now. The fact that…I keep letting stuff happen between me and Sonic. I'm a bad person, aren't I? No. I'm a_ _horrible_ _person! And Genos…he's so sweet. I don't deserve him!_

Tears slid down her cheeks as she slouched, sitting against the wall across from the bathroom door. The thought of actually breaking up with him made her chest ache and her stomach hurt. She wrapped her arms around herself, letting her nails sink lightly into her upper arms. _I can't do this to him. I have to end it. He deserves better than me. He deserves so much better than me. And Sonic. I need to tell him that…nothing can happen between us anymore. But Genos first. How can I explain to him…without telling him about me and Sonic? I can't tell him about that! I couldn't take it if he hated me!_ A knock at the door made her jump. "Wh-what?"

"Koneko is here to visit." The voice belonged to Genos and he could instantly tell that something was wrong. "Are you alright, Noriko?"

"I'm…I'm fine. Don't worry about me. I'll be right out." She wiped at her tears and quickly left the bathroom to find him waiting for her. "I said I'm fine," she muttered.

"Something is bothering you. Tell me what it is."

"No. I-it's just something I need to work through on my own." Noriko greeted the younger catgirl as cheerfully as she could and sat with her as she talked about everything she had done so far that week.

"Oh! I almost forgot! Someone came to visit me on Sunday! He told Granny that he knew my mother and then he said something other stuff, but Granny wouldn't tell me what it was. How could he know my mother though? I don't have one," Koneko explained, looking truly perplexed. She was sitting between Saitama and Noriko, munching on some snacks that the older catgirl had brought from the cupboard. "I don't have a mother, right? I don't _think_ I have one."

Noriko frowned. "No. I would know if you had one," she lied.

"I thought so! I told him he was being stupid. And then Granny was talking to him about the hero exam or whatever that's called. He was saying it'd be better to be an assassin. But assassins are bad guys, right? That's like the opposite of what you and Saitama-sensei are!"

"You don't want to be an assassin. It's probably dangerous," the older girl muttered.

Genos turned to look at her from his seat in front of the computer. Though he was not about to say something in front of Koneko, he wanted to ask her why she looked guilty. He knew about the incident on the mountain, where she had been forced to help Sonic kill potentially innocent people. It still seemed to haunt her. The sudden memory of her in her café uniform made him quickly look away and wonder if she would ever wear it again, just for him.

When Koneko spoke up about getting hungry for 'real food', Saitama left with her to pick something up in town. Noriko awkwardly went to the kitchen, intending to make tea. A glance toward Genos showed that he was still at the computer, apparently looking at something on the Hero Association website. _I need to tell him. But how can I do this delicately? I need to tell him; I can't just let this keep going. Let him keep…putting up with me. Not when I know he deserves better. If we've broken up, it will be easier for me to get an apartment with Koneko._

"What is bothering you, Noriko? I can see that something is weighing on your mind."

She had been filling a tea kettle and frowned, looking to her left to find him suddenly standing there. Though he was probably unaware of it, his abrupt appearance and posture were actually quite intimidating. "Genos…I'm sorry. I-I just don't think this will work out so…we…won't be getting back together. I'm sorry." Her voice sounded weak and it disgusted her. Worse was when tears began to form in her eyes. She turned back to the tea kettle, hoping that her words would be enough to send him either back to the other room or out of the apartment. Instead, she felt hands grip her shoulders roughly and pull her so she faced him.

"I will not accept this, Noriko. I know that you must have your reasons for deciding this, but I refuse to accept your decision." His face drew close to hers and he felt her start to shake. "Do you understand? I will not let you-"

"I-if I don't want to date you…you can't just decide that I can't leave you!" she snapped, struggling in his hold. "Look. I have my reasons. You remember when you sent in that resignation when you wanted to protect me?"

"I only did that to protect you. I had your best interest in mind."

"That's…that's the same reason I have for _this_ , Genos! I have your best interest in mind, alright? I just want what's best for you and…I know that what's best for you isn't _me_ , okay? So can you please just deal with it? I'm not backing down from my decision!" The tears were sliding down her cheeks now, filled with despair and frustration.

He gripped her shoulders harder until she stopped struggling and bowed her head. "I am not going to let you go. I love you, Noriko. I do not know why you think that this is what is best for me, but I can say with certainty that you are wrong."

"Genos…" Noriko lifted her eyes to meet his and she scowled, baring a fang. "We're not dating anymore. Get over it." Though it pained her to say these words, she held firm and glared up at him through her long violet hair.

Now he was glaring back at her, his hold on her shoulders beginning to leave bruises. "If you think that I will let you go, you are mistaken. I refuse to lose you."

"…is it really losing someone if they leave you…?" She was glad when Saitama and Koneko returned, though the two looked a little puzzled. Noriko pulled Koneko into the kitchen once Genos left her and tried to busy the child with making tea, wanting any distraction to keep her from thinking about how he had spoken to her. How he had looked at her with such determination.

"So what's going on with you guys? Did she break up with you or something?" Saitama inquired, turning on the television.

"She believes that it is in my best interest. I cannot see how that could be possible." He shot her a glare over his shoulder. "I apologize. I should have heeded your advice; turning in that form to the Hero Association was a mistake. If I had known that it would lead to this-"

"Hold on. This isn't just about _that_. You do know that, right? She told you yesterday that she didn't like you being overly protective of her."

"I must protect her. Losing her is not an option, Master Saitama."

"Right." He rubbed the back of his head, glancing at the catgirl. Hearing Genos call him that had triggered the memory of Noriko saying it and that caused a certain biological reaction that made him frown. "Hey, maybe we should go for a walk or something and talk about this. There might be a way to change her mind, right?"

Genos instantly seemed to brighten. "Yes. Master Saitama, you must have plenty of ideas. How can I make her understand and change her mind about breaking up?"

"Whoa, hold on! You're kind of putting a lot of faith in me here! Why don't we just brainstorm ideas on how to make her feel better?"


	52. Chapter 52

It had been six days since she broke up with Genos. In those six days, she actually managed to get a lot accomplished. Noriko took Koneko shopping for winter clothes and a new tent, spoke with the representative from the Hero Association, and even looked at potential apartments for her and the younger catgirl. Though none of them seemed quite right; they were all located in buildings that had a lot of other people in them. She had little confidence in Koneko's ability to not fight with their neighbors so the idea of moving out was quickly pushed aside in favor of slowly trying to acclimate the girl to other children her age.

This was why she and Saitama were at the park, seated on a bench as they watched Koneko try to interact with other junior high age children. The male hero yawned beside her, seemingly bored. "Hey, so it's been about a week, hasn't it?" he finally spoke up.

"Hn…yeah. It feels like it's been longer though." Noriko sighed and leaned back, closing her eyes. "He keeps leaving me _gifts_."

"Well, yeah. He wants to get back together. He's pretty torn up about it."

She took a deep breath and stretched her arms over her head. "He…left me _three_ different dead birds, some flowers, those twin blades and sheaths, a pouch full of catnip, and a ball of yarn. And every time I found one of those gifts, it was next to me when I woke up in the morning or when I woke up from a nap." The girl straightened and ruffled her long violet hair. "It's kind of scary to wake up and find a _dead bird_ next to you."

"I told him to do stuff that would make you happy. Maybe I should have specified and said 'stuff that would make her _human_ half happy'," he said with a shrug. "I know you liked that catnip though; I saw you rolling around with the pouch and you kept purring."

"Hn." Her sharp green eyes went to Koneko, who was anxiously glancing over at Saitama. The hero gave her a small wave and she waved back, beaming. That was when her eyes fixed upon a familiar figure crouching behind a dead bush on the other side of the park. It reminded her of a day several weeks past. The day they had first started dating.

"He's not very subtle. Hey, Genos! Just come sit with us!" Saitama called, having followed her line of sight. The blonde drew further behind the bush, but was still quite visible to everyone at the park. Children were starting to stare at him.

Noriko shook her head. "If he doesn't want to come over, he doesn't have to."

"So why did you decide to break up anyway? He didn't seem too sure about it."

She slouched in her seat and glanced from Saitama back to Genos. The cyborg was still hiding across the park from them. "Because I know that he deserves a better person than me."

"Okay. So why do you think you're a bad person? Is it a jealousy thing again?"

"No. Er…there was…an _incident_. With Sonic. I-it was a little after Genos and I started dating. Back when he still told me that he thought about other girls when he…you know. And I wasn't thinking clearly. And I felt bad that Genos thought about other girls; it made me feel inferior so…" The catgirl growled lowly. "There's no excuse for it though! It was _wrong_! Just…I can't tell Genos. I couldn't handle it…if he hated me…you know?"

He shrugged and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her against his side. "You made a mistake. It sucks. I don't know why you would want to do something like that with Sonic. Although that kind of explains why he's being weird about you; that guy likes to fixate on people. People make mistakes. That one's really bad though."

"I-I know." She felt eyes on her and shifted her gaze to look across the park. Instead of seeing the playground and children, the girl's line of sight was blocked by Genos. She let her eyes roam up from his midsection to his face and she forced her lips into a straight line.

"You know, you're really bad at hiding," Saitama commented with a frown. "Why were you over there anyway?"

The blonde stared blankly for a moment. "I had my reasons. Master Saitama, is it alright if I sit with you?"

"I guess? I told you earlier that you could sit with us."

Noriko watched him sit on Saitama's other side and smothered a laugh when she saw the expression on his face. _Why does he look so happy?! It's adorable! Damn it!_ She closed her eyes, trying not to think about the pleased expression he had been wearing. Saitama's arm was still around her and she could feel the blonde looking over at them both. He looked like he wanted to say something, but was refraining.

The catgirl tried to focus her attention on Koneko. _That's my daughter_ , she reminded herself. _That's my daughter, proudly showing off a manga to those other kids. Standing there, talking to kids around her age._ She shook her head and sighed. It was just too strange to think of Koneko as her daughter, after spending so much time regarding her as a younger sister. _Worse, I was going to kill her because I know that she's dangerous. It's not even an option now._ She looked at her phone and frowned.

Saitama raised an eyebrow when she stood. "What's up? Are you going somewhere?"

"Yeah…um…could you walk Koneko home when she's done here? I don't want any creeps messing with her." She waited for him to say 'yes' before offering a half-smile. "Thanks." Noriko set off for the apartment, knowing that she would need to collect a few items before heading to her destination. Her eyes drifted to the twin blades leaning against the wall. When she had found them, there had been a note along with them that explained they were not the originals and these were not electrically charged. With a shrug, she slung the sheaths onto her back.

It was not an incredibly long journey to her destination, but it was a somewhat lonely one. As she walked, she pulled her cellphone out of her pocket and checked her messages. There were a few old text messages from Koneko, sent from the rancher's phone. Noriko would have deleted them, but the phrase 'I love you' made her stop. _It couldn't hurt to hold onto these for a while, right? What's next?_ The rest of the text messages were from Sonic, trying to get a reaction from her. In addition to text messages, he had left a large number of voicemail messages. _I'm not dealing with these right now_ , she determined.

When she finally arrived at her destination, she took a moment to stare at the large door. She was understandably nervous about approaching the place. Many things could go wrong. Gritting her teeth against her own anxiety, she knocked on the door and waited. _It's a dojo. Not many girls will be at a place like this, right? So…there might be a lot of guys in there. I have to do this though if I want to get stronger!_

The door was opened by a light-haired young man, who stared for a moment. "Do you need something?" he asked, sounding a bit suspicious and a bit agitated.

"Hn…this is Silver Fang's dojo…right?" she inquired, tilting her head.

His eyes widened a little when he noticed her ears and tail. "What _are_ you? And what are you doing here? Why are you looking for his dojo?"

"Who is it?" An elderly man appeared behind the young man. His eyebrows raised a little at the girl's appearance. "Oh. Isn't it Samurai Catgirl?"

"Er…yes." She nervously fidgeted with the strap of her bag, suddenly wondering if she would regret going to the dojo. "Um…a-actually you can call me Noriko if you want."

"So what brings you here? I thought you were on a probationary period."

"I-I am. Hn…I just…I was hoping that maybe you could teach me? I just…I don't like feeling weak and without my swords…well, right now, I just end up fighting like a cat so…" She bowed as lowly as she could. "Please teach me! I mean, if you want to! I'll understand if you don't want to teach me, but please at least consider it, sir!"

The young man bristled. "You have the _nerve_ to come here and ask for his help? Don't you know that I'm his only student right now? We don't need a girl training here and whining every time she gets hurt! Besides, if you want to get strong, why don't you just ask for _his_ help?" he demanded, pointing past Noriko.

She tilted her head and glanced over her shoulder, nearly jumping out of her skin when she saw Genos standing there. "H-how long-?"

"Genos? I almost didn't notice you there. Have you come to learn, too?" The old man gave him a curious look over the girl's shoulder.

"I have come to watch Noriko train," he bluntly answered.

The young man looked like he was about to say something, but his mentor interrupted him. "I do recall hearing that you were dating someone. This is her then?"

Noriko opened her mouth, about to protest, but went silent when she felt a metal hand on her shoulder. _What is he doing here? I thought he would stay with Saitama and Koneko. Is he really that worried?_ Color rushed to her cheeks and she frowned.

"Yes. Will it be a problem if I stay here while she trains?"

"I guess not. And, Charanko, we don't turn away people that want to learn. You have a change of clothes, I presume?"

She nodded. "Y-yes, I do. Thank you so much, sir!" Noriko followed him inside, hearing Genos right behind her. While it was rather unsettling to know that he had been following her for an unspecified amount of time, she could not deny that it was sort of sweet. _He's making it hard to be broken up_ , she thought as she put on some workout clothes in a changing room. _I know that he's upset about it. I know that he wants us to get back together. He keeps doing these sweet things to try to make me happy…_

When she began her lesson with Bang, Genos sat off to the side with Charanko. The girl had changed into a tightfitting tank top and sweatpants, her long violet hair pulled back into a ponytail to keep it out of her face. The cyborg's eyes were locked on her as she attempted moves that the old man showed her. Even if it was unintentional, her every movement was enticing.

"So what's with _her_? Was she just born that way?"

"You will show her proper respect, you little brat. Noriko is a Class A hero." The words held a certain amount of venom that made the boy beside him flinch. "Have you heard of Catman Scavenger?"

Noriko tried to ignore the looks that the two spectators gave her. She focused all of her attention on what Bang was telling her and doing her best to imitate the moves that he showed the girl. _I can do this, right? It seems easy enough. I know I'll never be as strong as he is. He's a Class S hero._ She caught him looking over at Genos as she went through some movements again and frowned. Her eyes shifted and caught the gold and black ones that were fixed upon her. Blood rushed to her face, her teeth scraping over the inside of her cheek as she tore her gaze from his. _He knows we're broken up! Why didn't he say so when Silver Fang asked?_

 **Shift P.O.V**

Koneko was still hanging out with the other children. Saitama sighed, bored out of his mind as he watched her interact with them. _Why did I agree to wait with her? I feel like a dad waiting for his kid…_ He shook his head and pulled the rat monster's phone from his pocket. Genos had taken out the numbers for the other rat monsters, at Saitama's request, and replaced them with his number and Noriko's number. He frowned and tilted his head back to look at the sky as he thought back to how Genos had quickly left him alone to follow Noriko. _I know that's what he's doing. He's trying to act cool about it, but he's following her._

"Saitama-sensei! This boy says you're not the strongest hero! Show him he's wrong!" the young catgirl called, waving frantically.

He reluctantly stood and walked across the park to where she was hanging out with her new friends. "What do you want me to do?"

" _This_ is your sensei?! He looks so _dopey_!" one of the boys exclaimed, laughing.

"Watch it, kid."

"Yeah, don't talk that way about my sensei! Here, throw me like you throw big sister at monsters!" Koneko lifted her arms, waiting to be pick up.

Saitama tilted his head and pushed his hands into his pockets. "No way. Nya-chan is super durable. I don't think you'd live if I threw you at something. And when I throw her at stuff, she always has some sort of cushion. There's nothing soft around here; just buildings."

"Pfft! You sound like a boring dad! Is this really the guy you train with?" the boy continued to tease them both.

Koneko curled her hands into fists, stomping one foot on the cement. "He _is_ strong! And cool! He's even better than Genos-senpai!"

"Genos?! That cyborg hero? He's so cute! Why didn't you introduce us when he was here?" one of the girls demanded.

"Senpai isn't nearly as cool as sensei!" Koneko yelped when Saitama lifted her by the back of her jacket, her ears going back and her tail whipping around angrily. "Sensei! Put me down! I'm going to show them-!"

"That's enough. I'm taking you home, Koneko-chan. Your friends will have to just wait until next time to ask you stuff. Say good bye." He took her back to the ranch and started back to the apartment alone. Saitama was not surprised in the least to find it empty so he sat on his futon and turned on the television. Pulling his phone from his pocket again, he frowned. There were no new messages from either of his roommates. It felt strange to be alone. For a long time, he had lived by himself. When Genos first joined him, he had felt irritated. The same went for Noriko. Now he found himself missing them both.

His thoughts moved to Noriko and his frown deepened. As hard as he tried, he could not push away those certain feelings about her. Feelings that he knew he should ignore. Of course, he would never act on them. He would never tell her or Genos how he felt about the girl. It just made it difficult when she got near him. Closing his eyes, he recalled the way she had been dressed when she was in that café. The cutout in the top of the uniform, bearing her pale cleavage in a perfect heart shape. The feeling of her soft chest pressing against him when he had hugged her. The way her cheeks turned pink when she called him 'master'. His eyes snapped open when he heard the apartment door open and absently scratched his stomach beneath his shirt. "Oh. Hey, Genos. Where's Nya-chan?"

"She went to learn from Silver Fang and then told me to go home ahead of her. I do not know where she intended to go afterwards, but I thought it best to do as she requested." The blonde sat near Saitama, wearing a look of frustration and confusion. "I think that she disliked some of the gifts that I left for her."

Saitama gave him his usual deadpan stare. "Well, you did leave a dead bird next to her while she was asleep. Try researching what girls like; not what cats like."


	53. Chapter 53

"Hn…what'd you say?" Noriko tilted her head, green eyes narrowing in suspicion. Her tail flicked back and forth behind her as she regarded her friend. _He's smiling a little too much. It's…kind of unsettling._ She had woken a little later than usual and made breakfast, after which he had made his bizarre announcement.

"A friend date. You know. Like what we saw in that one shojo anime a while back."

"A _friend date_?" she repeated. The catgirl could feel that they were being watched closely by Genos, who was currently cleaning up in the kitchen. "So what exactly-?"

"You'll see. It's going to be fun."

She frowned, but conceded. _I don't have much else going on today. Silver Fang said that he was busy so only Charanko will be at the dojo. I'm still not convinced that that kid hates me._ Noriko ran her fingers through her hair and grabbed a clean change of clothes before leaving her roommates behind. She grimaced once she was done changing, glaring at the outfit she had ended up with. _Skirt. Long socks. Tank top under a hoodie. All of my pants are in the laundry._

Stepping out of the bathroom, she found her roommates seemingly in the middle of a heated discussion. "Uh…what's going on? Problem?"

"I would like to accompany you on your friend date," Genos stated, turning to look at her. "Master Saitama, am I not considered your friend as well?"

"You are, but a friend date is _two_ friends," Saitama replied, holding up two fingers. "Two is a date. Three's a crowd."

Noriko saw the subtle shift in the cyborg's body language and bit her lower lip. _Why doesn't he go out and find a new girlfriend? It would make this break up a lot easier to deal with. I know he deserves someone great. So why is he dwelling on this?_ For the past four days she had been visiting Bang's dojo and every day, Genos followed her and watched her train.

"Are you really that upset by it?"

"I am not _upset_ ," the blonde started. "I do not understand why I cannot go with you. If we are friends, then I should be allowed to go with you."

 _He's really determined, isn't he?_ She tucked her hands into her pockets and tilted her head. "Saitama…hn…maybe next time? If Genos wants to go so badly, you should probably go with him instead."

"Wait, what? No way. We're doing this today. Genos, if it'll make you feel better, I'll go on a friend date with you tomorrow, okay?"

She withheld a giggle, watching the cyborg try to decide how to react to this. Color rushed to her cheeks when she saw him glance away, frowning. _He looks so cute when he's unsure. Damn it! I need to stop thinking like that! Even if he does move on, it won't be right if I'm still dwelling on him like this! He deserves better than me!_

"F-fine." He saw Noriko's face turn red and raised an eyebrow, unsure of why she was reacting that way to a simple word.

Biting her lip, she shouldered her swords and went to the apartment door. "Sh-shouldn't we get going, Saitama?"

"Aww, you're so cute when you blush like that, Nya-chan." The man ruffled her hair as he came to stand beside her. The look of surprise on their friend's face did not go unnoticed by the bald hero. "Okay, Genos. We'll be back around noon, probably. Just call if something comes up. And don't worry; I'll keep Nya-chan safe."

The two were soon walking down the street, the girl's head bowed as she tried to think of interesting things to say. Her thoughts were on Genos and centered almost entirely on how cute his reactions had been. She kicked a rock ahead of her, watching it roll and bounce over the cement. "So…what did you have in mind for this friend date?"

He shrugged. "I didn't really plan anything. I just thought we could hang out. It's been a while since it was just the two of us."

She sighed and stretched a little. "I guess so. The last time was just before Sonic came to the apartment and I almost died."

Saitama glanced behind her at her tail, watching it curl at the end. It truly had been a while since it was just the two of them. Genos had taken to following them during strength training in addition to watching her train with Bang. He had tried to make the young man stop, but no matter what he said, it seemed that he could not dissuade him from following them. "Hey, do you want to go to the convenience store and grab some snacks?"

"Huh? Um…sure. I guess." She went ahead of him, agreeing to meet at the park. _Why did he want to split up suddenly? Did he sense some kind of danger?_ Noriko grabbed some drinks and snacks, making her purchase with a small smile to the clerk. When she arrived at the park, she found her friend already sitting on the swing set and tilting his head back to look at the sky. "Something interesting up there?" she joked, handing him a drink.

"Not really. Just trying to think of things to do." He started to swing a little and was glad when she sat beside him. For the past few days, he had been trying to determine just how he really felt about her. Sometimes he had a certain biological reaction when he saw her do certain things. What he wanted to know was whether or not he loved her or if he could remain content with just being friends.

She opened her drink and took a sip, smiling at the sweet flavor. A glance toward Saitama showed that he was now studying the drink she had given him. "Um…I'm surprised Genos hasn't met someone new, you know? I mean…he's cute. He could easily find a better girlfriend."

"Hey. Can I have some of that?" Saitama abruptly asked, holding out a hand.

"What? Ah…you know I already drank some, right?"

"It looks better than this one. What? You're not sick or anything, right?" He accepted the can from her and took a sip. Of course, he was testing his own reaction. Immediately, he found himself thinking about how warm the can felt when it touched his mouth. He slouched a little, emitting a growl of frustration.

"Are you okay? You've seemed kind of…different. I-is it because of what I said? That thing about Sonic?" Noriko's face started to turn red, remembering that she had shared that information with him.

"Why _Sonic_? That's what's really bothering me. I mean, you have a lot of fans. Most of them are guys."

"Yeah, but most of them are creepy, too." She started to swing a little more, rustling in the bag for a custard bread. Taking a large bite, she delighted in the sweet creamy filling. The girl was quick to offer Saitama his own, not wanting to share an indirect kiss with her friend a second time. _He's still holding the can. Am I not getting it back? Should I ask for the drink that I originally got for him?_

He looked over in time to see her lick cream from around her lips, grinning in delight at the flavor. The man frowned and quietly started eating his own food. "Sonic's creepy.'

"That's true. Um…can I have my drink back? Or did you want to just trade?"

"Huh? Why don't we just share this one and then we can share the next one?" he suggested. When he handed her the can, their fingers brushed each other lightly. "So do you like Sonic, then? If you guys-"

She choked on her drink and nearly fell off the swing. "Wh-what?!"

"What? I'm just curious."

"I don't…I don't like him! It's just _complicated_ , okay?! I don't like him though! He pisses me off!" she growled, her tail bristling.

He laughed a little in response. "You're cute when you get mad."

"N-no I'm not. I should have better control over my emotions. Like when that girl made me mad and I…but you know I didn't hurt her! You _saw_ me!"

"I saw you," he agreed. Saitama frowned and leaned over, swiping his thumb over a bit of cream at the corner of her lips. Licking it off casually, he saw her frown back at him. "What?"

"I don't need to be taken care of," Noriko muttered.

He stood and offered a hand to help her up. When he gripped her small, pale hand in his, he smiled in his usual dopey way. "Yeah, I know. Cats like to be independent. You should let people take care of you sometimes though; it makes them feel better. Like Genos. He thought that what he was doing was helping you so it made him feel good."

"I-I know." She felt her phone buzzing in her pocket and drew it out. Her mouth twisted into a scowl when she saw the number. _I do need some money though. I used most of what I had on Koneko's new clothes and other stuff that she wanted. Fine. I'll meet with him. I needed to end that mess anyway._

"Something come up?" he asked, tilting his head.

"Yeah. Sorry, but I have to go somewhere. It's personal stuff so…"

"Don't worry about it. This was fun. We should do it again sometime. Oh, hey. Before you go, there is one more thing. Can I have a kiss?"

She took a step back and raised an eyebrow. "Uh…what? Really?"

"Yeah. I mean, just a little one on the cheek or something. It's a friend kiss."

"Hn." Noriko leaned up and lightly pressed her lips to his cheek before he did the same. "Okay. So…I'll be back later tonight. Please don't let Genos try to follow me."

When she split up from Saitama, she did so with a frown on her face. _That was pretty weird. Why would he want a kiss on the cheek?_ Noriko glanced over her shoulder and was glad to find that she was alone. She knew that things might not go well. After all, she was on her way to quickly do a job with Sonic and then tell him that she could never see him again. _Saitama said that he fixates on people. Like how he's fixated on Saitama since their first fight._ She smirked, recalling how her friend had described the fight to her in full detail.

Reaching the ninja's base, her heart began to pound. He was waiting for her and looked mildly irritated when he saw her new blades. "Where did you get those? A gift from your boyfriend?" he teased, looking them over.

"… _ex_ -boyfriend…" She chose to ignore the evil way that he was now grinning at her. "So what are we doing then?"

"Why did you pick _now_ to finally answer my texts? I've been trying to contact you for a while. I thought you might be ignoring me." There was a hint of venom in his words as he watched her tilt her head. "What? You broke up with your boyfriend, didn't you? I can tell that he didn't break up with you; you're not bawling your eyes out like most girls would. So do you have something to say to me now?"

Noriko sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "It's…not what you're thinking."

"You can't lie and say that I wasn't the cause of your break up. I can tell by the way you're glaring at me," he taunted. Sonic threaded his fingers into her hair and drew her face to his, locking his lips onto hers. The girl's body pressed tightly against his, her soft chest rubbing against his toned one when he pushed her back to the wall. When he broke the kiss, he began to grin again. "Noriko. Did you know this grin is my bad habit? I only grin like this when I'm fighting a really strong opponent, when I'm taking a life, or when I'm with you. Why is that?"

"Can we please just do our job?" she asked, trying to pull away.

"You do remember that I don't take you along for _free_?"

"Right…I remember. We'll settle your payment afterwards. Like we always do." Noriko was glad when he released her and turned to finish equipping himself. She began to fidget with the straps that held her sword sheaths. _How am I going to break it to him? It has to be done. I have to tell him._

The two met with the temporary employer at another abandoned building. Most of the jobs that the ninja took her on seemed to involve clearing a building of squatters or gangs. It might have irked her and made her wonder if he questioned her abilities, but it always paid really well. Similar to the first time, rain began to fall heavily as soon as they were inside.

Noriko split from him as soon as possible and set about her task of murdering every living thing she came across. At the back of her mind, she worried about igniting her bloodlust. _Every time I smell blood, I can feel this urge to just…let the cat part take over. It's kind of scary. What would happen if I did let the cat part take over? Would I…kill Sonic by accident? Like when I tried to kill Genos?_

By the time she cleared most of her floors, she ran into Sonic in the utility stairwell. "Look…there's something I need to say…before we finish here."

"Make it quick. I still have the top floor to worry about," he replied with a frown.

"Sonic. After this, we can never see each other again. Alright? I'm _serious_. I don't want to be involved with anyone. I shouldn't have let it go this far. So after we're done here, that's it. Just give me a smaller portion of the pay. I'm not going to apologize. I never wanted it to go this far, Sonic. I think you knew that. Do you understand?"

His eyes narrowed ever so slightly at her words and then he glanced up the stairs to the final floor. "That's what you really want? Fine. Now let me finish this so we can end this."

"Fine." Noriko rushed through the door to her last floor and began tearing apart her enemies with her blades. Blood splashed upon her clothes and face as she worked, but she fought her animal instincts. The girl's cat instincts were telling her to maul everyone around her. She batted aside a man's knife, effectively managing to slice his hand off entirely, before stabbing her right sword through his gut. Kicking his body aside, she frowned. _I don't see anyone else...but I can sense a presence here. I hate surprise attacks! If I can just find them quickly, I should be able to take them out before they can hurt me._

"Wind Blade Kick!" The voice came from behind Noriko and she had no time to dodge it. His strike connected with her head, knocking her onto her side on the floor.

"Ngh! S-Sonic, what are you-?" She held her head with one hand, her sword lying beside her on the cold floor as she glared up at him. The pain was intense, but she was still conscious.

He stood over her, head tilted as he regarded her fallen form in the dimly lit room. "Weird. That usually works with one hit. I guess you really are durable. You did manage to live through all of that crap with Kenta." Sonic crouched next to her and threaded his fingers into her hair. "You didn't think it would be that easy, did you? Did you really think that I would just say 'okay' and let you go?" He lifted her head a little and slammed it against the floor, effectively forcing her to black out.


	54. Chapter 54

He had left the apartment in the hopes of taking his mind off of her. Saitama had returned from their outing earlier than expected and when asked where Noriko was, he said that she had gone to run errands. _That was at least three hours ago_ , Genos realized as he walked down the street. _What sort of errands did she need to run? I would have gone with her._ As hard as he tried, he simply could not heed Saitama's advice to stop worrying about the girl. When he left the apartment, he found himself walking to the store and now he was carrying bags with ingredients for a meal he knew that Noriko and Saitama both loved.

The thought of running home crossed his mind as he walked. It was raining heavily and the sky was quite dark. He was subconsciously lingering, just in case Noriko would suddenly reappear and want to walk with him. The blonde was entering the less populated part of the city, drawing nearer to home, when he noticed the brightly colored umbrella in the distance.

The girl beneath the umbrella was wearing an expensive designer dress with frills and lace, but the most eye-catching part of her was her right arm. It was in a cast and tucked into a bright pink sling that hung around her neck. When she saw him walking down the street toward her, she started to run in his direction to meet him halfway. "Genos-kun! Do you remember me?"

Staring down at her blankly, he frowned. "I do not believe that I have ever met you. Why are you in this part of the city?"

She toyed with the handle of her umbrella, blushing. "I came to talk to _you_ , of course. I had to do some research to find the area you live in and it still didn't say where exactly. But I'm so glad that I get to see you! Last time was _horrible_! I wish you hadn't had to see me like that, but I was so _angry_!"

Genos continued to stare at her, trying to remember where he could have possibly spoken with this person before. She was around fifteen or sixteen and the overly familiar way in which she spoke to him was beginning to irk him. "We have never spoken before," he determined.

"I sent you _letters_ though! I know you've read them, too; you're such a sweet guy, Genos-kun! Just talking to you is making me so happy right now! I just know we'll be happy together, too! I'm going to do my best!"

Now confused, his eyes narrowed. "What are you trying to say? I am busy so if you will make this quick-"

"I'm saying that I want to be your _girlfriend_! I saw it on Hero Gossip a few days ago, silly boy! I'm just so _glad_! Now that you broke up with Samurai Catgirl, we can be together!" she stated cheerfully, beaming up at him.

His hands tightened into fists and he glared down at the girl. "I have not broken up with her. Who would broadcast such a deceitful story?"

"Hero Gossip! I just told you that! Why would you date a violent girl like her to begin with? Did you see what she did to my arm? But that doesn't matter now! I know you broke up with her because she hurt me! You're such a sweet guy!"

Genos turned away from her and found Saitama standing a short distance away, just within the shelter of an abandoned building's doorway. "Master Saitama, have you heard from Noriko? Is she finished with her errands?"

"So where do you live? Let me make dinner for you! Look; I even dressed up in my cutest outfit for you, Genos-kun!"

Saitama raised an eyebrow at the spectacle unfolding before him. "Hey, aren't you that girl that threw a bottle at Nya-chan?"

"I did it for a good reason! She was hogging him all to herself like she _owned_ him! But he broke up with her for _me_! I _know_ he did!"

The bald hero glanced from Genos to the girl and frowned. "Genos, do you know her?"

"I do not know her," he answered bluntly.

"But I know _you_ , Genos-kun! You're sweet and you're cute and you're humble and-!"

"Go home." Saitama gave her a stern look, but remained in the shelter of the doorway. "I'm serious. One, you'll catch a cold out here. Two, this area is dangerous for normal people. Three, you're going to regret doing this later. You're trying to make a stranger date you. A guy that you don't even really know and who doesn't really know you. Plus, I don't like the way you're talking about Nya-chan. So just go home, kid."

The blonde was glad when the girl started to walk away, tears in her eyes. _Master Saitama always knows exactly what to say_ , he thought as they started back to the apartment. He started making their dinner as soon as they got home and found himself glancing toward the balcony window as the sky grew progressively darker. The rain was falling harder, thunder booming in the distance. _Noriko dislikes getting her ears and tail wet. She should be home soon._ For an instant, he imagined sitting with her near the balcony window and watching the rain. Keeping his arms around her and feeling the pleasant warmth of her body heat against him.

"Hey. I just got a text from Nya-chan," Saitama announced, tearing Genos from his thoughts. "I guess she got caught in the rain and she's going to stay with Koneko for the night. That's cool; they'll get some time to hang out together." He looked toward the blonde and saw that he was staring down at their food intensely. "Genos? You okay?"

"Yes. Master Saitama, I know that you said that I should not worry about her. I realize that sometimes she dislikes it that I worry about her. But I cannot help worrying about Noriko. I will not apologize for wanting to make sure that she is safe."

"Uh…okay. But she's with Koneko. Let her have some time with her kid. When she gets back tomorrow, we'll just have a talk or something. I know what you mean though; I'm a little worried too. I know she hates getting her ears and tail wet."

 **Shift P.O.V**

The left side of her head was throbbing as consciousness steadily returned to her. Noriko's left ear twitched as she heard movement. The instant that she felt something tight around her wrists, she knew where she was. _At least he didn't cut my clothes off this time_ , she thought as she looked down at her body. The girl's skirt, shirt, and socks were still on her. They clung damply to her skin, making her shiver. Her lips twisted into a snarl and she took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. The chains that held her arms over her head clanked as she shifted. Her arms had been holding all of her weight when she was unconscious and as she straightened her posture, feeling slowly began to return to her hands.

Most of the lights were off, with the exception of a lamp near the futon. It cast an almost eerie glow upon the lone chair positioned a little ways in front of her. Beyond the chair, the rest of the apartment was cast in darkness. Behind her, she could hear rain falling outside and thunder booming in the distance. Her tail shifted anxiously and her ears went back as she heard movement again. This time she was able to pinpoint where it came from; directly in front of her, just past the chair. To her disgust, she began to shake even more as he stepped into the light.

Sonic had changed clothes soon after securing her in the chains and now stood before the girl with a smug expression on his face, hands in his pockets. "Did you really think that you would get off that easily?"

"Hn…I guess I should have known better," she replied, digging her nails into her palms above her head. "But you seem to have forgotten what happened the last time you did something like this. Or did you forget already?"

"I've taken extra precautions this time." He stepped closer and smirked, reaching out to grip her chin firmly. "You won't be able to leave unless I let you. And I think we both know that that won't happen any time soon. So I hope you didn't have any plans."

Noriko bared her fangs, a low hiss leaving her as she tore her face from his hold. To her relief, he released her and took a step back. His grey eyes seemed to be looking her over; examining her for a moment before he moved to the chair. He turned it around and sat in it backwards so that his gaze was locked her, taking in every inch of her shivering form as she tried to avoid looking at him. "Just…what exactly do you think will come of this? A-and I have a head wound, just so you know-"

"I took care of it. As for what I hope to gain from this, I think you already know."

She lowered her eyes to the floor and contemplated her options. Attempting to get free could potentially injure her further, not to mention anger her captor. _He already attacked me earlier; I don't think that he won't hurt me again. If I let him get close and then attack him, it might just make him angry. If I try to kill him…but I already know that I can't. And even if I did, how would I get out of these cuffs? It could be a while before anyone looks for me and by the time they found me…_ Noriko smirked and looked at him through strands of her long purple hair. "Genos will find me. I hope you realize that."

He rolled his eyes. "You broke up with him, didn't you? Why would you put so much hope in someone that you left? What makes you think he'll want to help you?" Sonic watched her look of satisfaction falter and eventually fade into a frown. It was now that he took notice of her shivering and remembered that she was wearing damp clothes. With a smirk, he withdrew a kunai and stood. "You look _cold_."

"I-I'm not _cold_. I'm shaking because I'm _angry_ ," she protested.

"Don't worry; I'll warm you up." He was soon in front of her, using one hand to tilt her head back and the other to trace the tip of the blade down the center of her chest. "Just be careful. If you move too much, my hand might slip. Who knows what might happen?" he taunted, leaning down to nip at her bottom lip.

She blushed red at the feeling of his teeth on her skin and tried to turn her head to the side, but he held it still; making her watch as he cut off her shirt. _Why is he doing this? He fixates on people. I know that. But I kind of feel like he never goes this far with his Saitama fixation._ The catgirl closed her eyes tightly as her skirt was tugged down, leaving her in just a black bra, panties, and her long socks. Her trembling increased as she felt the cold air on her flesh

"Even if he does think about looking for you, I'm sure that I can stop him. I sent them both a message earlier to keep them away. It's going to be a while before anyone comes looking for you, Noriko. And when they decide that you've been gone for too long, you're just going to have to tell them that you don't want to be found. It's so much easier to keep them away when you send such snippy messages to them." He pressed his body close against hers, feeling the chill of her skin through his clothes. His lips covered hers, silencing her protests.

Noriko felt her heart racing as his arm wrapped around her. She pulled at her restraints, feeling the leather edge dig into her wrists lightly. _This can't be happening. This is just…too much! He has to be joking, right? He can't just keep me here forever! He'll get bored…right? Or Saitama or Genos will come to rescue me again. Right?!_ Panic set in as she thought of them forgetting about her. The thought of them not even bothering to search for her, the thought of them being glad to lose her. Tears began to form in her eyes and they quickly trailed down her pale cheeks. _I guess…it would make sense. Right? I'm a bad person. I don't deserve such good friends. I never did. I'm just…I'm a burden. I'm not strong like they are. I do terrible things, make stupid mistakes. Why should they have to put up with me?_

He broke the kiss with a scowl as he felt her tears drip onto his shirt. "Why are you crying?" Sonic demanded, forcing her to meet his gaze. Seeing her sharp green eyes shimmering with unshed tears, he felt something akin to disappointment. This was supposed to be a moment of triumph and her despair was ruining it for him. Why he felt this way, he was unsure. He tucked away his kunai and wiped at her tears, frustrated. "Are you crying because you're thinking about _him_?"

"…it doesn't matter anymore…" Her voice was just barely a whisper and he had to lean in closer to hear the girl. Noriko met his gaze, tears falling once more as her pulse raced. What she saw in the depths of his eyes was what looked like empathy, though it was mingled with a heavy sense of jealousy and frustration. "Sonic. I broke up with him because every time I'm with you, things like this happen. And I couldn't handle with that kind of guilt anymore…"

"So just be happy that I'm here," he stated simply. "I'm here. I have you. You're mine and I'm yours. Deal with it because that obviously isn't going to change." One hand wandered down her back and pressed at the back of her hips, drawing her body tight against his again. This time when he leaned down to latch his mouth onto hers, she met him halfway. Feeling her lips move against his filled him with a euphoric adrenaline and he smirked into the kiss.

Noriko shifted in slight discomfort, the padded cuffs slowly cutting off circulation to her hands again when he moved them so her back was pressed to the nearest wall. It was just a foot or so away, but it was just enough distance to force her to stand on the tips of her toes to avoid all of her weight being held by her wrists. Though she wanted to hold onto the hope that her friends would look for her, that they would find her and rescue her, the mournful thoughts from before began to overshadow her hope. _Maybe they shouldn't find me. Maybe they would be better off without me._

Running his fingers through her soft hair, he ground his hips against hers. He broke the kiss and leaned down to her left ear. "You have no idea what I want to do to you right now." His voice was heavy with lust as his free hand now moved along her right thigh. Within seconds, he had her hips wrapped firmly around his waist and he rubbed himself between her legs through his pants and her panties. "I want to hear you say it."

She knew what he was referring to. It would be hard not to guess what he wanted to hear. The girl leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, her chest pressed against his now. "Sonic…I love you."

"I love you, too." The man felt her bury her face in the side of his neck and smirked. At least she had stopped crying. Better still that she seemed to be accepting her fate. "Are you done thinking about him?"

Noriko knew that he was taunting her. _He doesn't really care if I'm over Genos or not…but I know that I'm not. And I never will be. I love him. I love Genos, but I know that I'm not good enough for him. I don't want to hurt him so…I can't be with him. No matter how much I love him. No matter how much it hurts. And still…I don't know what I feel for Sonic._ She lied, nodding slightly against his skin as she clenched her eyes shut.


	55. Chapter 55

Noriko opened her eyes slightly and jolted back a little. _Oh…right. I'm with Sonic._ She was lying on his futon, her head resting on his chest and his arm wrapped around her. Leaning up a little, she was able to see that his eyes were closed. _Is he still asleep or just pretending?_ Settling against him once more, the girl could feel her pulse returning to a steady rhythm. For a moment she had forgotten about the previous day's events. With a pang of despair, she realized that she had half-expected to be waking up next to Genos.

Her tail twitched for a moment beneath the blanket before draping over her leg, the tip brushing over his skin. Memories of the night's activities came back to her and she began to blush. _I guess…it doesn't matter anymore, does it? Nothing does. Even if I do get out of here, I shouldn't go back to my friends. They'll be better off without me._ She lingered for a moment before turning onto her side, facing away from him. Her cuffed wrists came into view as she lifted her hands, causing the chain to rattle softly.

He had slackened the chain enough for her to sleep on the futon comfortably, but the cuffs were still tight and she was unable to reach any other part of the apartment. As she listened to the quiet breathing of the sleeping ninja behind her, she felt despair gnawing at her chest. She could never see her friends again. Should never see them again, unless she wanted to cause them pain. A quiet yelp escaped her when his arms wrapped around her waist, drawing her back against his chest. "S-Sonic?!"

"Why were you facing away from me?" He smirked, feeling her warm skin pressed against his. "Were you thinking about leaving?"

"No…I honestly wasn't." Noriko released a sigh and thought it was quiet enough that he was unable to hear it. She soon found herself on her back, blinking up at him in surprise as he maneuvered his legs between hers. "Wh-what?" she demanded, trying to sound angry. Color was rushing to her cheeks when she realized that his eyes were roaming over her upper half.

He leaned back a little, putting his weight on his knees. "You look cuter when you're blushing," he taunted. When she turned her face away, trying to hide her blush, he gently gripped her chin and made her face him again. "You're even cuter when you're embarrassed. I don't get why you're being so modest though; it's not like we've never done stuff like this before."

"I-it's a normal reaction for a girl to have when…when there's a guy hovering over them like this," she argued. _What is he going to do? I don't like the way he's looking at me. Like he might…_ She flinched when he leaned down to her right feline ear, blowing a stream of warm air over her sensitive skin. "Ngh! Wh-what are you doing?"

"I just want to see how red I can make your face turn."

A low growling started at the back of her throat, but stopped when she felt his lips against her ear. Her back arched a little, tail twitching furiously beneath her as pleasure raced along her spine. "Sonic~" Her chain rattled as a hand grabbed the short lengths of metal and pinned her arms over her head. _It's not fair! Damn it!_

With a smirk, he moved his free hand down her stomach to her lower lips. The warmth radiating from them caused an instant biological reaction in his body, his member growing stiff as he pressed the tips of his fingers against the outer lips. He could already feel moisture growing there, soaking his fingers when he pushed them just past the warm folds. "Did you get this wet just from me blowing on your ear?" he taunted.

"Hn…if you're going to put them in…"

"Who said anything about that?" Sonic withdrew his fingers from her warm skin, smirking at her look of frustration. "What? Did you want me to go further?" He lifted his hand toward his mouth and, locking his eyes with hers, let his tongue glide over his fingertips. The smirk now grew into an evil grin that sent a chill down her spine. "You taste so sweet."

"D-don't say things like that. And don't do that!" Noriko shifted her head to the side and this time he made no move to make her look at him. She closed her eyes and felt his fingers brush over her warm, sensitive skin. Her hips bucked upwards at the slight contact of his skin touching hers. When she felt the tip of his middle finger press against her clit, Noriko threw back her head and released a soft moan. "S-Sonic, please~"

"What do you want? You're going to have to say it. How else will I know what you want?" Again, he used a taunting tone that normally would have angered her. He knew that she would not dare to snap at him now; she was quivering beneath him and her cheeks were a bright red. She bit her lip to suppress another moan as he repeated the action, letting his fingertip rub hard against her clit before trailing along her slit, collecting her juices. "Say it. I might just spoil you and give you what you want."

The girl's eyes opened and she glared at him from the corner of her gaze. "Hn…don't treat me like I'm weak." Noriko moved abruptly, her arms going around his neck to pull him tight against her. Seeing him looking a bit surprised, she smirked up at him. "What? Did you think that I would beg?"

He smirked back at her and pushed his middle finger past her warm lower lips, causing her mouth to contort as she released a moan. "Do you think I can't still make you beg?" He leaned down to kiss her, his free hand moving to her breast. His rough fingertips traced over her nipple and her back arched, hips pushing up against his. As badly as he wanted to thrust his member into her, he was far from finished with teasing the girl.

Her heart raced as he began pumping his finger in and out of her, starting with a slow pace. When he added a second digit, she could feel her muscles stretching around his fingers in a pleasant attempt to accommodate their width. The feeling of having her opening filled by him made her heart pound in an almost painful way, her lower lips growing wetter at the thought of him inside of her. He was beginning to speed up now, striking deep within her and rocking his thumb against her clit to double the pleasure that coursed through her body. Her lips moved against his, teeth scraping over his bottom lip teasingly.

The man growled at her attempt to tease him and pushed in one more time before keeping his fingers still within her. She frowned into the kiss and tried to buck her hips to get him to start again, but he used his other arm to pin down her waist. His thumb pushed hard against her sensitive bundle of nerves, forcing her to break the kiss and moan louder than before. "You said not to treat you like you're weak, but look at you. Squirming around with my fingers pushing into you while you blush like you've never done this before. I'd say that I'm making you feel weak, wouldn't you?"

"Y-you're…Ngh! I hate you, you know that?"

"Is that really something you should say to someone that's bringing you this much pleasure? I guess I could always take them out. I don't really need to do this; I just thought you would appreciate it. So do you?"

"I'm not going to beg!" she protested. Noriko was glaring up at him now, panting quietly with the effort to not moan at his actions. His thumb was rubbing rough circles over her clit and it was all she could do to not scream. He was watching her closely, admiring every twitch and thrash of her upper body. _He's just waiting for me to break, but I swear that I'm not going to beg him! It's bad enough to be in this position without begging for him to be in me!_

Sonic withdrew his fingers, tilting his head as he stared down into her eyes. "You're bringing out my bad habit again," he stated with a terrifying grin. "Maybe it's that you're challenging me. Alright. You want to do this the hard way? When I'm done, you'll be whimpering and begging for me."

"Wait…what?" Noriko's eyes widened when he slid down her body, still holding her hips down with one arm. Panic made her heart race once more, seeing him settle between her legs and move his face close to her opening. She watched as he leaned down, his grey eyes locked on her face, as he drew his tongue along her slit. The girl threw her head back, mouth opened in a silent cry of pleasure. Subconsciously, she began to pull hard at the restraints on her wrists. Her back arched as he repeated the action, his wet appendage dragging over her warm and sensitive sex. _What is he doing? He shouldn't do that! It's so embarrassing and how can he like doing that?!_

His fingertips dug into her hip as he held her down, a smirk growing on his face as he savored her taste. Better still was her reaction to his actions. Her cheeks were bright red, eyes closed tightly in ecstasy and fingers curling as she continued to tug at the cuffs. Sonic let the tip of his tongue slip between her lower lips and dragged it up, trailing over her clit. She released a sound similar to both a yowl and moan, her fingers digging into his soft black hair as he continued to lick her. More sounds followed, each more satisfying than the last as they grew higher in pitch. He could hear it in her voice; she was desperate to reach her climax and his actions were pushing her closer to the edge with each flick of his tongue. This would have been fine and he would have continued, but the feeling of her fingers trailing through his hair was driving him mad.

She felt his tongue push past her lower lips and enter her opening, flicking once before withdrawing. "Ngh! D-damn it! Sonic, why…aaaahhh~!" Noriko felt her muscles spasm around the wet appendage and was glad when it swiftly withdrew to be replaced by two of his fingers. He pumped them in and out through her orgasm, watching her slowly come down from her pleasure high. Staring up at him, her eyes glazed over with lust, she felt a low whimper forming in her throat. _That…that was amazing, but why would he lick there? But it felt so good! Why? So good…but not the same as…_ The girl was still panting and trying to regain her composure when he leaned back, removing his fingers from her. "D-don't…"

"Don't what?" Making sure that her eyes were on him, he licked his fingers clean. "You look like you have more to say. Is there something you want to ask me now?"

Noriko's blush had died down to a faint pink hue and she frowned. "I-I liked that…but it wasn't the same as… _you know_ …"

Sonic moved so his upper half was just inches above hers, stray locks of black hair falling over his face. "I don't know. What are you trying to say? You want me to put something else inside of you? Were my fingers and tongue not enough?" he teased her, grinning evilly.

The blush was growing in intensity again as she shifted her eyes away from his. "Don't make me say something so embarrassing," she muttered.

"I want to hear you say it. I'm not going to do anything else until you say it." The hand that had held her hip now moved up her body so he could trail his fingers through her long violet hair. The action seemed to make her quiver even more. Leaning down to her feline ear, he let his cheek rub over the soft hair there. "Say it, Noriko."

She knew that he would not move until she said it. As embarrassing as it was, she could not argue that it was what she wanted. _It doesn't feel the same. That felt really, really good, but it's not really the same. Damn it! Why does he have to grin at me like that? It's…really unsettling. Creepy._ Summoning forth all of her courage as well as bracing herself for humiliation, Noriko licked her lips and turned so her mouth was near his ear. "P-please, Sonic…I w-want you to fill me up with your c-cock," she whispered, trying not to sound like she was begging. Her hips shifted subconsciously after using the lewd word, feeling his stiff member prodding at her lower lips. The head slid against her clit, forcing a moan from her that seemed to satisfy him. _I can't believe I just said that! It's so embarrassing!_

"That wasn't so bad, was it? Now let me reward you." He thrust the tip of his member into her and slowly pushed in further, letting her feel every inch as he stretched her open. No matter how many times they did this, he was always pleasantly surprised by just how warm she felt on the inside and how much wetter she became when he entered her. The girl's legs were open wide now to let him draw closer to her, letting her soft breasts press against his chest. He could feel her heart racing, her arms going around his neck as he started to thrust in and out of her. She released small gasps and whimpers of pleasure that only served to turn him on more as he felt her wet opening clench around him. "You were that turned on? It didn't take long to make you come," Sonic teased her. "Am I just that good?"

"Sh-shut up." Noriko closed her eyes, feeling the head of his cock pound against a certain spot within her. A certain sensitive spot that was driving her close to another climax. When he slipped a hand between them and pressed his fingers against her clit, a powerful orgasm washed over her that had her moaning his name.

He smirked as he felt her body convulsing beneath him. A warm wetness coated his member as he continued to drive it deep into her, his own climax swiftly approaching. She threw her head back as he kept his fingers on her clit, rubbing circles in an effort to bring on a third flood of pleasure that would hit at the same time as his own. An evil idea struck him and he leaned down to latch his lips onto hers, running his tongue along her bottom lip. She thrashed for a moment, disgusted, but he bit her lip lightly in a warning.

 _What is he doing?! That's…so wrong! Don't-!_ To her horror, he squeezed her breast to force a yelp from her and took advantage the second her mouth was open. His tongue swiped over hers once before retreating, just in time for the pleasure between her legs to peak. Her back arched again, body pressing close against his as the man found his own climax. He bucked his hips into hers a few more times as his hot seed spilled into her.

When he broke the kiss, he was panting and grinning down at Noriko. Sonic saw her try to look away and caught her chin between his thumb and index finger. "What? Embarrassed?"

"Wh-who _wouldn't_ be? Why did you do that?" she demanded.

Sonic was about to reply with a snappy yet flirtatious comeback when he heard the chime of a ringtone across the apartment. He looked toward the kitchen area and frowned. Pulling out of her, he crossed the room to pick up her cellphone from the counter. He read the text message and his grin quickly returned. "Your friends want to know when you'll be home. What do you think I should say to them?" he teased, moving to sit beside her on the futon.

She twisted on the futon so her face was buried in the pillow. _My friends…I know he'll say something to them about this. It's just a small part of why I can never go back to them now. I know that Saitama wasn't mad, but Genos would be hurt. I can't see him that way._ _I couldn't live with myself if I hurt Genos!_ Noriko felt tears forming in her eyes and shook her head.

Though a little confused by her reaction to the news that her friends were indeed worried about her, Sonic was not about to pass up the opportunity to mess with Saitama. "I'm going to tell them that you want to be left alone so you can think. That should buy us a little more time." He finished typing the message before tossing the phone out of her reach. Sonic turned to find her still hiding her face. "You're not getting away from me again."


	56. Chapter 56

NeonHorizon: Okay so this chapter might seem kind of not important, but it's going to set up a lot of stuff for the future chapters so if you don't want to miss out on that then you should read this chapter. It's important. I'm also taking a second to say thanks to all of the people leaving reviews. That's pretty cool of you. It tends to make my day. I'm tired and starting to ramble so whatever. Read this chapter.

* * *

It was the third day in a row that she was standing alone on the street, in the desolate section of the city, waiting for a glimpse of her crush. The first two days she had dressed up and waited patiently for hours, but he never made an appearance. The dark-haired man watching her smirked from within the shadows. _Today she's wearing a school uniform. What is that? A private school? Isn't that blazer a little loose in the chest?_ He licked his lips and stepped out of the alleyway, gradually making his way over to the girl.

Yaya straightened, startled by the man's appearance. She had been waiting to see Genos, as she had for the past few days, but as usual he seemed determined to stay hidden. It was fine though; people had always said she had a strong sense of determination when it came to getting what she wanted. As this new man approached her, she tilted her head. Something was irritatingly familiar about him and it soon dawned on her that he had ears and a tail that resembled her enemy's. "Hmph. Are you a friend of Samurai Catgirl's or something? Did she send you to tell me to leave? Because I'm not giving up! They're not even dating anymore!"

"I'm not a friend of hers. Do I look like I would be friends with a girl like her? She's vulgar. Not like you. So cute and pure."

She shivered a little at the way he looked her up and down. "So what do you want? I'm busy right now."

"Busy waiting for someone that has no interest in you. You don't even know, do you? _He_ didn't break up with _her_ ; _she_ broke up with _him_." Kenta saw her expression immediately shift from solid determination to crestfallen. "Obviously he has some sort of _animal ear fetish_."

Now she became angry. "What? Like he's hit on you or something? Is that what you're trying to say? Because I don't want to hear that he's-!"

"No. That's disgusting. No, what I'm trying to say is that he's so fixated on _her_ that he clearly has a type and I'd say that it's girls with animal ears. Don't you think so?"

Yaya's shoulders drooped. "What, so I should put on a cat ear headband?"

"You could. Or you could do what Samurai Catgirl did. What _I_ did."

"Why did you become a dog person?"

Kenta gave her an indignant scowl. "I'm a cat person cyborg!"

"I've never seen a cat that drools so much."

He wiped his sleeve across his mouth and grabbed her arm. "I'm a cat person cyborg," he repeated. "Better than Genos. Want me to prove it? I've had some upgrades recently."

Yaya snickered and pulled her arm away. "No way! You're so not my type! But tell me more about what you did to get that way. If that's what it takes to get Genos to notice me…"

 **Shift P.O.V**

The sunlight felt nice, warming his face on the otherwise cold day as he stared out at the field. The old woman at his side shifted and poured herself a cup of tea from the kettle she had brought out of her house. "Give me some."

"I'm not giving you any! You think you can just drop by and demand tea? Not like you ever even contribute or bring her stuff." The rancher sipped her steaming cup of tea and sighed. "Can't believe the day's coming up so fast. Seems like she just started working here and now it's almost time for her to run off on another job."

He rolled his eyes, crossing his arms in irritation. "It's not like she's leaving you. She could afford it if she _wanted_ to."

Koto scowled up at him. "She _wants_ to be with her mother. You know that as well as I do. It's all she ever talks about; Samurai Catgirl and her sensei. She wants to live with them, but it's not safe. Just as good; she's a hard worker. Be a shame if she really did run off to live somewhere else."

His eyes shifted back to the young catgirl. She was moving through an obstacle course set up by him and the old woman, practicing once more for her hero exams. Koto had been tutoring her on academics, just at the off chance that they came up in the written portion. He had helped the girl work on her speed. Watching her now, he could definitely see the resemblance between her and Noriko. The expression she wore as she attacked was just as intense as the older catgirl's. "I can't stay for much longer."

"That's fine. Run off. Back to wherever you go. You're going to wait for her after her exam, aren't you?"

Koneko seemed to sense that he was about to leave because she sprinted across the field and tackled him in a hug. "Hey, hey! You'll be waiting for me after the exam, right?! I'm going to shoot up to Class S right away like senpai!"

He blinked in surprise and smirked. "Sorry. Can't make it. I have something I need to look after."

"What?! No way! You have to be there! I want you to meet everyone! I want you to meet Genos-senpai and Saitama-sensei! And my big sister! You have to meet them!" She frowned at him in a way disturbingly similar to how Noriko frowned.

"I have something I need to look after," he repeated. Setting the girl on her feet on the ground, he patted the top of her head. "Good luck on your exams. I have to go now."

"Hn. Where are you going anyway? You haven't been here for the past four days!"

Sonic had already turned away from her and now he grinned evilly. "I've been with your mom. That's where I'm going now. Back to her."

"Hnhnhn! You're still saying that? I don't have a mom! You're so weird, Sonic-sensei!" Koneko rushed him from behind and threw her arms around his waist. "Besides, it'd be weird if you were with my mom. Can you imagine?"

His eyes had widened slightly when she hugged him and now he frowned. "Yeah." It was a thought that he had been trying to avoid. The fact that he had been visiting this child, Noriko's child, for a while now. The week prior to recapturing Noriko, he had dropped by a few times to observe her. Somehow this had led to the girl looking up to him. "I have to go now. Get back to practicing."

 **Shift P.O.V**

Noriko grimaced at her current situation. She had dozed off beside Sonic on the futon and now woke to find herself hanging from the ceiling by her cuffed wrists. Her gaze drifted over everything within sight. There were no tools near her that could help her free herself. _Not that I really need to escape. I told him I'm not going to leave. Where would I even go? I can't go back to Genos and Saitama. Not after everything I've done._ Looking again, she spotted a note taped to the door. The writing was done in bold black marker so she could read it from across the room. _Oh…he went to run errands. Great. So how long will I be left hanging like this?_

She tilted her head back to look up at the chains. They were thicker than the chains he had used the first time and she had noticed a layer of metal in the cuffs, tucked between the padding and the leather exterior. Even the padlocks were thicker. He had let her out of the cuffs a few times already; to let her use the bathroom and once when they moved their romantic activities to the kitchen. _At least I'm clothed though. Just at the off chance that a stranger gets in here. Or if Saitama finds me again._ This thought made her sigh and bow her head. Thinking about her friends made her chest feel tight.

The apartment door opened and closed, the lock clicking sharply. The note was ripped from the door, tossed aside in a paper ball as the ninja crossed the room. When he stood before her, Sonic grinned. "Where's my greeting?"

"…welcome home…" she muttered, lifting her gaze. "Where did you go anyway? I'm surprised you would leave me here alone."

He caressed her cheek and let the pad of his thumb trace over her bottom lip. "I know you're not going to leave me again," he stated simply. "Besides, I'm sure you wouldn't go far."

"So where were you?" Noriko tried to ignore the blush creeping onto her face as his face drew close to hers.

"You really want to know?" he asked in a taunting tone. "What? Were you worried about me, Noriko? Or maybe you were just lonely without me."

Her tail twitched in agitation behind her. "Just tell me. Or not. If you're going to tease me like this, then maybe I don't care. Can you let me down now?"

Sonic looked her up and down before smirking. "Maybe when you can ask nicely. And I guess I can tell you where I was." He pulled his hand away from her cheek and moved to the chair positioned a few feet in front of her. It was still backwards so that he could lean on the back part and watch her as she shifted uncomfortably in the cuffs. "I was paying a visit to someone. Your daughter Koneko. You never told me that you had a kid."

"I-it's not like I gave birth to her," she protested. _What was he thinking?! Why was he visiting Koneko? Did he say something to her? But she would have killed him if he-!_

"Her hero exams are coming up so I was helping her train. She has a lot of potential. I tried telling her that it would be better to be an assassin, but she's just like you; irritatingly stubborn. She wants to impress you and Saitama." Sonic saw her eye twitch and tilted his head. "What's wrong? You wish you could go to cheer her on? You know, she wanted _me_ to go." His evil grin quickly began to take form. "She wanted me to meet her senpai and her sensei. And _you_. Isn't that funny? And the weirdest part is that she doesn't even know that you're her mother. Why don't you just tell her? And who's her father?"

A low growl started to form at the back of her throat. "You've been visiting my daughter…and her hero exam is coming up?"

His grin grew. "You won't be going, of course. I told you before that I'm not letting you leave. What? Do you really want to go that badly?"

"It's an important thing for her…" She started to shake, her anger rising. _He's just trying to make me mad. He doesn't even realize. He's reminded me that I do still have a reason to get out of here! If I'm trapped here, I'll never see her again! My daughter! I won't let her face the world alone!_ _Especially with that creep Kenta around!_ Noriko pulled hard at her restraints, snarling and baring her fangs. "Let me out of here before I tear open your throat, Sonic!"

"So you do want to leave? What changed your mind; me talking about your kid or mentioning _him_?" He stood and approached her, ignoring the swish of her tail and the way that her ears flattened. "I'm not letting you go. We've been over this already. If I let you go, you're just going to run back to _him_. I know you're saying that you don't care anymore, but I know that he still wants you. I'm not sharing you anymore, Noriko."

"Let me go! If you don't let me go, I'll-!"

He gripped her chin tightly, grey eyes narrowing down on her. "I like it better when you have some fight in you, but if you think that I'll let you leave, then you'd better think again. Maybe I should punish you for trying to threaten me. Would you like that? I have you chained up already." She glared back at him, fangs still bared in outrage. "What's that look for? Are you going to bite me again? Go ahead. But I'll bite you back. Do you know what would happen if you did manage to leave? I know where your daughter is now. I know that she's your weakness. So if you suddenly disappear, I can't promise that she'll be safe."

 **Shift P.O.V**

"Hn. I still don't get why I should be able to do this. Don't you have a radar or something, Genos-senpai? You should be able to find your girlfriend."

It had been a few days since Noriko went to run errands and failed to return. Though a number of text messages had been sent stating that she was leaving town to start over elsewhere, they immediately knew that Noriko had not sent them. Not to mention that she was not answering her phone. Saitama had gone to collect Koneko from the ranch and now the three were standing in front of his apartment building.

Saitama checked his phone again, staring at the most recent text message. It had requested that he never speak to Noriko again. "Look, you're just able to, okay? So can you sense her or not?"

Beside him, Genos watched the child. She was looking around, as if that could spark her ability to sense Noriko. Though there did not seem to be a scientific way to explain her ability to find her mother, he was confident that she could do it. He was confident that she would be able to find Noriko as she had before. As he watched, she turned and started walking in one direction.

She sniffed at the air and frowned, tilting her head. "Hn…this doesn't _feel_ right. There's something really not right." The fur on her tail bristled and Koneko looked at them over her shoulder, her pale green eyes watery. "It's _scary_. It feels scary…and sad…and lonely. I can't explain it. It just feels like that. Last time it was like a thread tugging at my brain, right? But now it's like…the thread is lax…it feels like… _resistance_. Like big sister doesn't want to be found…sort of. How can I feel these things, senpai?"

"I do not know, but if that is how she is feeling then we need to find her as soon as possible. Are you sure that you cannot sense where she is, Koneko?"

Saitama saw tears trailing down her cheeks and sighed. Lifting her onto his back, he could feel her fragile body trembling as she tried not to cry. "Hey, don't strain yourself, okay? You have that exam coming up."

"Th-that's just it though! I want big sister to be there when I come out of it, Saitama-sensei! Where is she?! She's…she's the only family I have! I don't have a mom or a dad! I don't care what Sonic-sensei says! He's a _liar_!"

"Uh…what did you just say? Did you say 'Sonic-sensei'?" The bald hero turned his head a little to give the girl a questioning look.

"Have you been speaking to him?" Genos approached the two now with a look of determination. "Koneko, has he been talking to you?"

She nodded against the back of Saitama's shoulder. "He visits sometimes and he said he couldn't go to my exam because he's got stuff to take care of and he said he's been with my mom! I keep telling him I don't have one! All I have is my big sister and my sensei and my senpai!" The small catgirl's tears were beginning to make the back of Saitama's shirt wet.

"You're saying Sonic has been with your mom? That's really what he said?" the hero asked, trying to make sense of what she was saying. _If he's been with Noriko, then does that mean she went to stay with him? Why though? She keeps saying she hates him._ Feeling a small pang of jealousy, Saitama turned to where Genos had been standing, but found the space empty now. "Huh? He must've gone ahead of me. Alright, let's get some food, okay? You'll feel better."


	57. Chapter 57

As hard as she tried, Noriko knew that she would not be able to break free. After spending hours thrashing and pulling at the chains, her body went limp with exhaustion. The cuffs dug into her wrists as her knees buckled. _What am I going to do?! I have to get out of here! What the hell was I thinking? I felt so hopeless…I had forgotten about Koneko. If I don't get out, she'll think I abandoned her! I helped bring her into the world, even if it was against my will! I can't just leave her! And I'm pretty sure she'll rampage if I don't reappear soon!_

Sitting in front of her was her captor, watching her with a bored expression on his face. When she first started fighting to escape, it had been amusing. He had watched her with a slight hope that she would manage to slip free so he could have fun catching her again. Unfortunately, it grew tiresome after the first hour. Now he was just glad to see that she had burned through her energy. "You look tired," he casually remarked. Tilting his head, he began to grin. "Are you ready to give up?"

She bit back the urge to begin thrashing once more, knowing that she had to conserve her energy for later. Though it was highly unlikely, an opportunity could arise where she could break free. Glaring at him through her dark violet hair, she scowled. "I'm not giving up! I won't give up again!" Noriko snarled.

"Really? Because you look pretty defeated right now. Like you want to just curl up in a ball and sleep. I bet you'd like that, wouldn't you?" Sonic was standing before her now, taking in the sight of the girl hanging by her wrists like a marionette. "The sooner you give in, the sooner we can go back to how things were before."

Immediately aware that he was referring to sleeping together, she blushed. "Sh-shut up. I'm not going to be swayed by your words, Sonic! That's not even a convincing-!"

"You know, I don't have to let you down to sleep. I'm pretty sure you'd be fine if I left you like this all night. Don't you agree? Besides, it makes it so easy to do this." His arm wrapped around her lower back to draw her body tightly against his. She winced, releasing a small sound of pain at the restraints digging into her wrists. He leaned down to her feline ear and let his lips brush over the soft edge. "Maybe we just won't sleep tonight."

Noriko smirked and quickly took advantage of how close he was to her. Opening her mouth wide, she latched her teeth onto the side of his neck and let her lips push against his warm flesh. She felt his body tense before pressing his hips harder into hers. _What is with him and letting me bite him? He thinks it's some kind of show of affection, right? Perverted creep!_

The feeling of her soft lips against his neck sent a shiver down his spine and when he felt her teeth shallowly sink in, he felt every muscle in his body tense. His free hand ran up the girl's back to the base of her skull, threading his fingers into her soft violet hair. "You don't know what it does to me when you bite me like this," he teased.

She wanted to snarl a comeback or at least bite him harder, but her attention was drawn away when she picked up a distant sound. Her feline ears twitched forward and her tail began to shift in unease. _It sounds like…movement in this building? I haven't heard it before._ The girl's heart began to race as Sonic tried to pull away from her to face what could only be Saitama. She sank her teeth deeper into his skin, her fangs creating two small punctures and blood smearing on her lips. _I have to keep him from running away! Damn it; he's really fighting me though!_

The door exploded forward, narrowly missing the ninja and the catgirl. Noriko's eyes went wide when they met the black and gold ones of Genos. She kept her teeth firmly in Sonic's neck, but her terrified gaze made it abundantly clear to the cyborg that she was not enjoying the feeling of the man's skin beneath her fangs. "Noriko…"

The dark-haired man twisted slightly to peer over his shoulder at Genos, a smirk taking form on his face. "It took you long enough. I don't know why you're here though; she came to me on her own." Sonic could feel her growl vibrating against his skin and it sent a pleasant chill throughout him. "Didn't you say that you broke up with him, Noriko?"

She drew her fangs from his flesh and gave him a bloody scowl. "I never-!" The girl did not have the chance to continue her protest. In a matter of seconds, the window broke open and both men were gone. _Damn it! What happened?! Where…?_ Noriko turned, the chain twisting a little and causing more pain in her wrists. She was able to see that the window was broken and now heard their voices outside. Her ears and tail drooped slightly at being abandoned. _What are they thinking anyway? What, did they take the fight out there to spare me getting hurt?_ She looked up at the chain again and sighed, realizing that she was now stuck waiting for one of them to return for her.

Noriko listened to the fight outside, her ears twitching anxiously as she waited for someone to come back. Though she hoped it would be Genos, the thought also brought forth feelings of fear and guilt. She knew that he must think lowly of her after finding her in such a compromising position with Sonic. If the ninja were to return for her, she worried what he might do. Several minutes passed until she heard another voice outside, carrying up from the street below. _Saitama? He's here, too? Wait a second…I don't hear Genos anymore. Is he just being quiet or…?_ She shifted her gaze to the doorway again and she blushed pink.

The blonde approached slowly, almost hesitantly. "I know that you are strong," he started. "I know that you are capable of protecting yourself. I will acknowledge that." Standing in front of her now, he saw the blush growing on her cheeks. He saw the way her sharp green eyes widened ever so slightly, brimming with tears. "Even if I know that you can do it on your own, I want to protect you. It is not something that I can help and it is not something that I will apologize for."

She closed her eyes, trying to keep herself from crying. _Why does he have to look at me like that?! It…makes it so difficult to be broken up! He's doing this on purpose! He has to be!_ The catgirl felt his metal fingers beneath her chin; not lifting her face to make her look at him, but stroking her skin gently. More color rushed to her face as she began to purr quietly. "G-Genos…please…" Instantly, his fingers left her skin and she felt a tug at the chain over her head. With a loud clanking sound, he broke the chain to free her. The cuffs were still on her wrists, still bound by a shorter length of chain, but she was freed from the ceiling at least.

Genos caught her when she fell forward, letting her lean against his chest as feeling returned to her limbs. Even as she began to stir in discomfort, he held onto her firmly. "Noriko, I spent a lot of time thinking while we were apart."

The girl yelped as he lifted her in his arms. "Wh-what? Um…what were you thinking about?" she cautiously asked.

"You told me that we are not together anymore. I cannot accept that. I tried to and I cannot accept it." His hold on her tightened a bit as she shivered. "Do you understand? We are not broken up. I cannot allow that. We are dating again."

"Hn…a-alright." Noriko glared up at him in embarrassment as he jumped down from the floor they were on to join Saitama in the street below. She was still blushing when their friend approached to greet her, gesturing casually at Sonic's fallen form several feet away. _He's not dead_ , she realized as the man's arm twitched. _He's just knocked out then?_

"Hey, what are you wearing? And why are you wearing those cuffs?" Saitama gave Genos a curious look, turning away from Noriko. "You know, when I rescued her last time I broke those off of her. Need some help?"

As they spoke back and forth, the catgirl frowned. She was wearing a short black skirt and a lacey black shirt with short sleeves. Alone with Sonic, it had seemed like an okay sort of outfit, but now with her friends around she started to feel self-conscious. "C-can we just get home? Please? I want to wash his blood off of my face."

The bald hero reached over to lift her chin, tilting his head at the sight of the dark blood around her lips. "Wait. Don't tell me those punctures on his neck were from your fangs. Ouch. What'd he do to make you bite him like that?"

Noriko growled and turned her head away, out of his grip. "Hn…doesn't matter, okay? Do you know if Koneko is alright?"

"Huh? Yeah, she's back at the apartment; I got Mumen Rider to babysit so I could help Genos. So this is where you've been the last few days?"

"Master Saitama, can you collect her phone and swords? I would like to have some time alone with Noriko on the way home," Genos interrupted before she could reply.

"Oh. Yeah, sorry. I guess you would want to catch up, huh? I'll see you guys at home."

The first few minutes were spent in silence as the blonde tried to carefully choose his next words and the violet-haired girl nervously contemplated what he might say. She was actually a little glad that he still wanted to date her, after everything they had been through. _Why though? I'm not worth his affection. He's great. He's…a much better person than I am. So why does he want to be with me?_

"That pervert touched you. I know that he did; I saw the way he was looking at you. I wanted to get revenge for you, but Master Saitama said that he would fight Sonic so I could rescue you, Noriko." His gaze drifted down to her and he felt his mechanical heart beat a little faster. She was looking away, blushing pink. The combination of how he held her and how low her neckline was allowed him a view of her pale cleavage. Combining this with the way she held her cuffed wrists against her chest made it very hard for him to focus. "Noriko-"

"I'm…a bad person. I get jealous. I get angry and I do stupid things sometimes." Lifting her eyes to his, she frowned. "I'm going to become better. I _have_ to. Genos…I'm not going to just give up on being a hero so…if you want to protect me then you'll have to be around. Okay?"

He was slightly taken aback by her words. "You do not want me to accept every request from the Hero Association."

"Right. Because…well I don't mind spending time with Saitama, but sometimes waking up alone feels bad. Do you-?"

"I understand what you are saying. Alright; I will take fewer requests and when I do go on one, I will bring you with me unless I think it is too dangerous."

"A-alright. That works." She saw him still staring down at her, paused in the middle of the street. _What is he looking at? Is it the blood on my face_? Noriko wiped away most of the blood with the back of her hand, grimacing at the metallic taste. When he abruptly leaned down to cover her mouth with his, she felt her face growing hot. Her heart racing, she lifted the short length of chain binding her wrists and let it rest against the back of his neck as she leaned up into the kiss.

 **Shift P.O.V**

Watching Koneko try to politely converse with Mumen Rider was entertaining, but he found himself wondering about Noriko. _What exactly happened? She was probably there the whole time, right? What was that about earlier? That thing with Koneko._

"I'm taking my hero exam in a few days. I'm going to be a Class S hero like senpai." The young catgirl smirked. "Maybe I'll help you afterwards."

Trying very hard not to be intimidated by the child, Mumen Rider smiled. "You've been studying for the exam then?" Though he was able to stand courageous in front of monsters and villains, something about Koneko always greatly unsettled him. It felt like a primal instinct to want to avoid her, but he could see that she was making an effort to try to be like a normal girl. Finding that admirable, he decided to make an effort to talk with her. "You're going to do great. I can tell you have a passion for fighting, Koneko-san."

"Hn. Of course! I learned to be brave from my big sister! She used to protect me, you know. When that creep would get near me, she'd do everything she could to protect me! Even when we both got hurt, she gave it her all! Big sister's always been brave like that! So now it's time for me to start protecting people, too! Starting with you, Mumen Rider! I'll protect you and sensei if a bad guy comes near!"

 _What does she think is going to happen?_ Saitama looked overly briefly before returning to the task of reading a manga. His thoughts were on something else though. Hearing her talk about Noriko protecting her from Kenta made him frown. _How often did she have to do that? And what was he trying to do to Koneko?_

The apartment door opened and closed, admitting Genos and Noriko. The catgirl was immediately grabbed in a hug by Koneko and then politely greeted by Mumen Rider. The cyborg led her over to sit beside Saitama while he went into the kitchen. "Hn…sorry to make everyone worry," the girl quietly apologized.

"Where were you?! I was worried sick about you, big sister! So were sensei and senpai! I tried to find you earlier using that trick that I used before, but it felt like you didn't want me to find you! What was wrong, big sister?" Koneko sat in front of her, not about to go without answers. Even as she spoke, tears formed in her eyes.

"I just…I went somewhere for a while. That's all."

Saitama absently reached over to rub behind her right feline ear, earning a purr from Noriko. "The point is that she's back. Don't you need to study more for that test?"

"Hn. Saitama-sensei, I studied a lot already! I'm going to be the best one there and get to Class S like Genos-senpai!" the child protested.

"So you're not worried about flunking the written part and getting a lower class ranking?" He frowned the slightest bit when he felt Noriko's cheek rub against his hand before she flopped over, her upper half lying across his lap. A look down showed that she was asleep.

Koneko's face went a very light pink. "Hn? Sensei do you like my big sister?"

"What?! Look, I don't-!" he started to protest, but was cut off by Genos.

"Master Saitama and Noriko are friends. Of course he likes her. I am sure that Noriko likes him, also." Seeing his girlfriend draped across his mentor's lap, he frowned. Genos crossed the small apartment and lifted her in his arms before leaving the room.

 _Where's he taking her? The only other room is the bathroom._ A look back toward Koneko and Mumen Rider showed that they were giving him strange looks. "What? She's probably been through a lot, right? She's just tired. She'll be fine." On the inside, he started to worry a little. She did seem rather tired when he saw her before and it was unusual for her to just fall over into his lap. "I'm going to go check on her. You'll be okay here, right?"


	58. Chapter 58

NeonHorizon: I don't often ask for readers' opinions, and this will by no means influence the future chapters because I have my own plans, but do you prefer fight scenes, comedy bits, or smut? I'm just curious. They're all fun to write.

* * *

"Hn…what the…?" Noriko had woken on the floor of the apartment, beneath a thick blanket. There were a few things a bit 'off' about the situation she was waking to. The first being that Koneko was sleeping in front of her, the child's thin arms wrapped around her with her face nuzzled into the crook of Noriko's neck. The next strange thing was that she could see Mumen Rider sleeping against the wall near the tiny patio, seeming to have nodded off at some point and never roused by Saitama or Genos. The third, and final, strange part of the scene was that Saitama was wide awake and sitting very close to where she and Koneko were sleeping, his fingers absently rubbing behind her ear while he watched the news. "Er…what are you doing?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry. You were twitching a lot in your sleep so I thought it would make you feel better." He tilted his head, noticing dried tears on her cheeks. "Did you have a nightmare or something, Nya-chan?"

Realizing that she had indeed been crying in her sleep, she wiped at her face. "S-sort of. I was dreaming about when I was younger…my first days with Kenta. Where's Genos?"

"He went out. Not sure where he went though; he just walked out of the apartment about two hours ago. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine." She looked down at Koneko and frowned. Using extreme care, she slipped out of the child's hold and replaced herself with a pillow. The younger catgirl hugged it to her chest, making a soft sighing sound as Noriko settled the blanket around her to keep her warm. "I'm going to make breakfast, I guess. Er…why is Mumen Rider sleeping here?"

Saitama glanced over at the man just in time to see him slump over onto his side on the floor. "I think babysitting wore him out. So what are you going to make?" He followed her into the kitchen, subtly inspecting her for injuries. Though he found nothing too shocking, he did notice something a little strange about her appearance. The padded cuffs were still locked around her wrists, but the chain connecting them had been snapped.

She yawned, baring her fangs briefly before covering her mouth. _I feel like I didn't actually sleep last night. I don't even remember much after Genos brought me back. And why are these cuffs still on me?_ Noriko lifted her right hand, glaring at the padded leather cuff and the short length of chain dangling from it. Turning her arm this way and that, she frowned. "I don't know what I'm going to make," she finally answered, glancing over at Saitama. "Do you want something in particular?"

He was looking her over again, just in case he had missed an injuries. She was wearing black shorts and a black tank top so he was able to see a few bruises on the back of her legs, but not much else. "Huh? Oh, anything sounds good. Just make whatever you want." Saitama watched her start to prepare ingredients, feeling slightly vexed at the sight of her bruises. "Hey, Sonic didn't hurt you while you were there, right?"

The girl had been cutting an apple and jolted at his question, shallowly slicing her fingertip. "I-I don't want to talk about it," Noriko replied, her ears going back.

The two stood in silence as she examined her injured finger. The sight of her running the tip of her tongue along the cut made him frown. It was enticing enough, but pairing it with the amount of skin she was showing brought forth certain biological reactions within him. His heart skipped a beat, which confused him a little. "Can I see that?"

"Huh? Um…" Noriko timidly offered her hand, showing him the cut. It was quite shallow and had already finished bleeding, but it did sting a little. "It's nothing. I could probably skip putting a bandage on it; I heal pretty fast."

He gave the tip of her finger a light kiss, just to test her reaction. Seeing her facial expression remain the same, he felt just a little crestfallen. "Yeah, I noticed that," he said, trying to forget about her complete lack of blushing. "Do you think that's a cat thing or just part of your durability?"

"I don't know, but it's weird." She returned to her task and half-smiled as she set about turning the apple slices into rabbit shapes. _Koneko will like these. I saw them in that weird cooking manga I was reading a while back. Kids like stuff like this, right?_

"So why were you so worried about Koneko last night? You wouldn't let her go back to the ranch. Not that she wasn't okay with that; I don't think I've ever seen her look so happy."

"Hn…Sonic said that he had been talking to her…so I'm worried that he might-"

"Use her as bait to get to you. Yeah, I could see that happening." He peered over her shoulder and smiled in his usual dopey manner. "Are those apple bunnies?"

Breakfast was soon finished and Noriko set about waking the others. Mumen Rider blinked sleepily at his surroundings for a moment before accepting a plate of food from her and eating without a word. Koneko grinned at the apple bunnies and omelet, eager to start eating. As Noriko settled beside her with her own plate, her other roommate finally returned. She was sitting with her back to the apartment door when it opened and she blushed pink when she felt him sit behind her, his legs moving to either side of hers. Feeling his hard chest against her back, she smiled sheepishly. "…you left me…"

"I had an important errand," he replied, wrapping an arm around her waist from behind. "I promise not to leave you alone again today, Noriko. We have a lot of time to make up for."

Koneko glared over at him briefly as the older catgirl timidly offered him an apple rabbit. "Hnhnhn! Big sister and senpai look cute together," she started. "But big sister and sensei looked like newlyweds this morning. Sensei wins."

"What is she talking about?" Genos immediately turned his gaze to Saitama, who simply shrugged. His eyes soon focused on the small cut on Noriko's finger and from there he easily pieced together what had to have happened. "Noriko, did you accidentally cut yourself while cooking and Master Saitama tended to it?"

"Something like that," Saitama replied from across the table. "So what's with the cuffs, Genos? You broke off the chain, but not the cuffs? And you guys are dating again, right?"

Noriko opened her mouth, intending to bring up that she was not entirely sure about this turn of events, but Genos was quick to interrupt her. "Yes, we are dating again." Though it had been Saitama that had asked the question, he was looking at Mumen Rider when he spoke.

The cyclist appeared a little confused at the abrupt animosity, but said nothing about it. "So will Koneko-san be moving in?" he inquired, hoping to redirect Genos' attention.

"Hn? No way! I'm a big girl; I can take care of myself! Besides, I need to be at the ranch to protect Granny from monsters!" the child argued.

"Wait, what? Did a monster attack the ranch?"

Noriko listened to her daughter talk with Saitama and Mumen Rider, glad to see the child looking so cheerful. _She has no idea what kind of danger she might be in. What was Sonic telling her? And for that matter, I know that I can't let her go back to the ranch as long as he's out there. Between him and Kenta, I don't know how safe either of us are._ She felt the arm around her tighten and a chilled metal hand cupped her chin to draw her head back. The girl blinked up into the gold and black eyes before his lips pressed against hers. Blood rushed to her cheeks and she trembled. _What is he thinking?! Doing something like this in front of everyone…_

Genos let his other hand rest on her lower stomach, just above the waist of her pajama shorts. Though he wanted to make up with her in private, he was beginning to see that that might be an impossibility. Everyone seemed bound and determined to give them no time alone together from the moment they returned the day before. He had tried bringing her into the bathroom just for a moment alone with her. Of course, she had been asleep and he had intended to bring her back to consciousness. They had been alone together for less than a minute before Saitama came to make sure that she was alright.

"Ewww! Are you guys really doing that right in front of us?" Koneko demanded. She stuck her tongue out at them. "That's gross!"

"That's what adults do," Saitama spoke up. "Most adults."

" _He_ doesn't do stuff like that," she stated, pointing at Mumen Rider. The young catgirl was completely oblivious to the fact that she may or may not have insulted him.

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

"I need to be going. Thank you for breakfast, Noriko-san." Mumen Rider bid the four farewell and left quickly, still not entirely sure why he had slept over.

Noriko broke her kiss with Genos and blushed red, looking down at her plate. "Um…sorry about doing that in front of you, Koneko. But Saitama's right; a lot of adults do stuff like that. I mean…I guess teenagers do that, too. Some kids in junior high go on dates."

"Did you date a boy when you were in junior high?" the child inquired.

"Well…yeah." She absently pushed the remains of her omelet around on her plate, frowning. "Well… _kind of_. There was a boy that I liked. But we never really went on dates." Noriko closed her eyes, puzzled that such a memory would come to her when she still had trouble recalling the names and faces of her family members. Though her memories were slowly beginning to return to her, seemingly triggered by her traumatic electrical shock from Kenta. "If I'm remembering correctly…we used to go to this old garden behind some vacant houses in City G. We went there together to feed stray cats." Her lips twisted into a grimace at the memory. _Right. We started that in elementary school and the cats started to follow me around town. That's why people called me 'Hinyako'._

"So did he like you back?" Koneko was staring at her intently, waiting for her answer. Having only been alive for a couple of years, she had extremely limited experience with boys. Most of her experience with males came from her time with Kenta and that was anything but pleasant. "Did he say that he liked you, big sister?"

Noriko slouched a little, depression beginning to set in the more she thought about the past. "I don't know if he liked me. We never go the chance to talk about it. Not that it matters now. Do you like any boys, Koneko?" She knew that the girl had been going to the park every day since Noriko's disappearance, always accompanied by either Saitama or the old rancher.

"Hnhnhn! Of course! I like sensei! I sort of like senpai _sometimes_. And Mumen Rider is alright. I don't hate him. But _sensei_ is the best!" Koneko declared with a grin.

Saitama reached over to ruffle her hair, smiling. " _You're_ the best."

"Noriko meant boys your age," Genos pointed out.

Her happy expression fell as she tilted her head. "Boys my age aren't strong enough. And most of them are boring. But there is one that actually shows potential. Seiji-kun from the park. He isn't stupid like the other kids."

Noriko carefully stood and carried the dishes into the kitchen as Saitama asked Koneko about her friend. _It's good that she's making friends and that she likes a boy, but is that okay? What happens if she falls in love with him or vice versa? I don't think she can age. And I can't let her be alone now. Not with Sonic threatening her._ She sighed and started washing the plates, trying to push away all thoughts of the ninja.

"Koneko will be safe at the ranch if she goes back."

The sudden sound of her boyfriend's voice coming from right beside her ear made her jump. Noriko looked over her shoulder at him as he wrapped his arms around her, pressing her back to his chest. "Genos…what do you mean? How do you know she'll be safe there?"

"You told me last night that Sonic threatened to harm her if you left him. My errand today was something to ensure that both you and Koneko will be safe."

"So…you put him back in prison." It was a statement, not a question. She could tell by the very satisfied expression on his face and the way that he held her closely against him as if in victory. _He did. He put Sonic back in prison. How long will that last though?_

"Do you remember the last time we were alone in this room?"

Her face turned red and she kept her eyes fixed upon the plate she was washing. "Y-yeah. I remember. I'm sure Saitama remembers, too." The last part was meant to deter him, to remind him of the agonizingly embarrassing incident where their roommate had walked in on them.

Of course, Genos completely mistook her reminder for worry. He could feel her begin to subconsciously begin to purr as he leaned down to her ear. "He will leave soon to walk her home. Before he does, I will ask that he takes his time returning so that we can have some time to make up properly."

She felt her body grow warm at his words and shifted slightly, rubbing her thighs together. "Wh-what do you have in mind? Something new?" Noriko felt a tug at her wrists as he gathered the two lengths of chain in one hand. "…Genos…?"

"What I have in mind is something old, but involving these." He could feel her shiver against his chest and leaned down to the side of her neck. "No one will interrupt us today."

"You guys weren't about to start 'making up' in my kitchen, right?" Saitama raised an eyebrow when the two quickly separated. Noriko was blushing bright pink and Genos averted his gaze in a guilty fashion. "Right? Someone just tell me that you weren't about to start doing that in my kitchen while Koneko and I are still here."

"We would not do that while the child is here," Genos answered.

Realizing that he would not get a response from Noriko, the bald hero turned his attention fully to Genos. "I'm taking Koneko back to the ranch. I'll be back in an hour. Don't do stuff in the kitchen. Don't do stuff out on the patio. Don't use my pillow or my futon. Don't use _anything_ of mine, alright? I'm serious. It's depressing enough that you guys are doing stuff like that; I don't want to find the smell of her shampoo all over my stuff. So promise you'll follow those rules. _Both_ of you." When they both silently looked at him, he frowned and his expression turned dangerous. "I'm **_serious_**. There will be consequences if you guys break those rules."

 _He wouldn't kick us out, would he?_ Noriko heard Genos swear to follow the rules and quietly agreed as well. She lowered her gaze back to the sink, trying to focus on finishing her task. Her heart began to race as she wondered what the blonde was planning. _He seems pretty excited about it. Whatever it is. It must be good, right?_ Recalling the time he had bound her wrists behind her back before making love, she started to turn red again. Though she had been initially nervous, she could not deny that it was an exhilarating experience. She heard Genos walk away, but not her other roommate. "Hn…Saitama? Is there something else?"

For a moment, he looked as if he wanted to say something. Something important. His usual deadpan expression had been replaced by a serious one, but now he looked almost unsure. "Yeah. I mean…I missed you. And I worried about you." Hugging her, he began to frown.


	59. Chapter 59

_It's been a month. It's been a month and things are…sort of normal. As normal as can be._ Noriko dodged a blast of fire, tumbling over the frigid ground before correcting her posture. Running forward, she tightened her grip on both swords. The feeling of arms wrapping around her made her tense for an instant before recognizing what was about to happen. With a nod to Saitama, she prepared herself for the attack. _Even though it's been weeks and we both agreed to try harder, I feel like he's watching me even more closely!_

She flew through the air at the massive dog monster, Saitama having aimed her at its face. The girl soared past the monster's head and acted quickly; using the building behind the monster to launch herself at the back of its neck. Her swords penetrated its throat from behind, effectively forcing it to choke on its own blood. When she drew her blades free and flipped backwards onto the ground, she could feel eyes burning holes in her back.

Genos wrapped his left arm around her, drawing the girl close to his side and out of the way. "Incinerate." Flames burst forth from his right hand, engulfing the dog monster's body. It began to thrash violently, slamming its head against the closest building and the sidewalk as it futilely attempted to put out the fire. The arm around Noriko tightened as the cyborg leapt up and landed hard upon the top of the monster's head, driving his right fist against its skull with a tremendous amount of force.

The monster fell forward with blood pumping out of its throat, steaming in the cold night air. The top of its head was caved in, the body shuddering as the last traces of life left it. Noriko was released from Genos' grip and stood beside him, staring at the corpse. With a flick of her wrists, she sent crimson droplets falling onto the snow from her swords. She turned to her friend, frowning. "Saitama, what happened to your aim when you threw me?"

"I didn't want you to fly right into its mouth, Nya-chan. Can you imagine trying to cut your way out of it?" He looked down at her blood-splattered sweater. "Ewww. Did you bring an extra?"

"Hn…of course not." Noriko turned her gaze to Genos, who was staring at the monster as if it might come back to life. In the past month, she had fought many monsters. They were mostly dog monsters that the Hero Association hoped she could take care of. She fought and killed them, but mostly out of a feeling of obligation to clean up Kenta's mess. Every time she left to fight, she found herself being joined by her two roommates. Saitama would help if he thought she needed it and Genos tended to help even if she was able to handle the monsters.

Snow swirled in the air around the three as Genos turned away from the monster. "Are you hurt, Noriko?"

"She's fine. Right, Nya-chan? You were pretty good at dodging that thing's fire breath. Was it those feline reflexes?" Saitama patted the girl on the back hard, nearly knocking her over. "Oh, cute. Your tail's puffing up."

She sighed and glanced at her tail over her shoulder. "It's a cat thing. I think."

"I've never seen Koneko's tail get that fluffy," he argued as they started walking. Cold winter air blew across his scalp, but he was completely unfazed. Seeing Noriko shiver beside him, he pulled her against his side. She made no protests, simply soaking in the heat radiating from him. "Are you guys hungry? I feel like having ramen."

"I'm covered in blood," Noriko stated bluntly. Her stomach growled and she grimaced. "Hn…I am a _little_ hungry. I'm going to go home and change. Can I meet you there?"

"I will go with you," Genos quickly determined. He gently pulled her against his side and away from his mentor, who simply looked puzzled. "Master Saitama, we will meet you there. Is that alright?"

He sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I guess. You know which one I usually take Koneko to?"

"Yes. We will meet you there."

The three separated and Noriko found herself alone with her boyfriend. _I'm pretty sure I know why he wanted to come with me_ , she thought as she glanced his way. Shaking her head, she could feel his eyes shift toward her. "Ah…thanks for helping earlier."

"Noriko, I know that you could have defeated the dog monster yourself. I wanted to end things quickly because I know that you were cold." Even as he spoke, the metal of his body started to heat and the crevices began to glow a warm orange. He truly had been proud of the way she fought and he was not lying when he said that he believed she could defeat the monster. There was just a faint glimmer of doubt at the back of his mind. It was enough to make him want to finish the fight as fast as possible, just in case the monster got a sudden burst of strength.

She half-closed her eyes at the blissful feeling of his warm metal body against her side. "Thank you. What you did was really impressive, Genos. Sometimes I wish that I could do stuff like that. To be honest…I'm not really sure I could have beaten that thing on my own."

"You will get stronger," he pointed out. "I know that you have been training with Bang and Master Saitama." He paused as they neared the apartment building, frowning. "I do not like the way that Master Saitama throws you, though. You could have been hurt. A normal girl could have even been killed."

Her ears went back as they entered the building. "I've lived through plenty of things that could have killed a normal girl." Color rushed to her cheeks as they made their way to the apartment door. _Like every time I sleep with you or every time you try to cuddle with me and almost crush my ribcage. Or every time I fight Sonic. Or that whole electrocution incident. Or every time I spar with you._

The door was unlocked and Noriko immediately set about finding a clean sweater. With her back to him, she was unable to see Genos watching her. She had bent down to search through her bag, putting her rear up a little while her tail swished side to side. The girl was wearing jeans that hugged her bottom perfectly, allowing him a view of the tantalizing curve of her rear. He moved in close and reached past her to draw forth a long grey sweater. "Wear this one."

"Um…really? This one?" She jumped a little, feeling his free hand on her bottom. His fingers were warm even through the layers of fabric and rubbed a light circle over her left cheek. "Ah…Genos? Are you sure about this one?" She frowned at the black skull on the chest of the sweater.

"Yes. This one will keep you warm." Truthfully, he had picked out the sweater for another reason. It was a long sweater with a hemline that reached the middle of her thigh so it would hide the shape of her rear from any potential creeps at the ramen shop. He watched her peel off the bloody sweater and replace it with the one he had picked out, his mechanical heart beating faster.

Noriko was straightening the shirt when she felt his arms wrap around her from behind. The warmth against her back made her smile and she twisted to lean up, pressing her lips to his. When the kiss broke, she nuzzled her face against the side of his neck. Since they began dating again, the girl found him clinging a little closer than usual. Before, it might have frustrated her, but now she was growing to see why he did it. When she had watched him fight a monster alone, she had worried about him so much that her stomach hurt.

 **Shift P.O.V**

"Is something wrong? Did you learn more about that cyborg catperson?" Mumen Rider happened to be at the ramen shop when Saitama arrived and quickly found the bald hero sitting near him. He had appeared a little miffed when he walked in, but in a strange sort of way.

"Huh? Oh, hey, Mumen Rider. No, it doesn't have anything to do with Kenta. It's something else. I can't really talk about it." He saw the cyclist push up his glasses, seeming to stare at Saitama in a silent inquiry. "It's nothing. Really."

"I was watching the news coverage of the dog monster earlier. Is Noriko-san alright? That monster looked pretty vicious. I wanted to help, but I wasn't sure if she would want help; she seems to like fighting alone."

"Yeah, she's fine. Nya-chan is really durable. She probably could've finished the monster herself. She did a lot of damage when she stabbed its neck."

"Why did Genos stop her from finishing the monster? I saw him hold onto her and kill the dog monster himself so I thought she might've been hurt."

Saitama sighed and leaned back a little in his chair. "He just worries about her. I mean, I worry about her, too. I just know to give her some space. You remember when they were broken up? That show Hero Gossip made a huge deal out of it."

"Oh. Yeah, I think I saw something about that. They got back together though, right?"

"Yeah, but when she broke up with him, he kept following her around. Like following her _everywhere_ ; the park, training, when she went to run errands. I'm kind of surprised that she let all of that go so quickly."

Mumen Rider frowned a little. "Um…you don't have a crush on her, do you?"

"What? Why? Do you?"

"No. She really isn't my type. It's just that whenever you talk about her, there's something different about the way you look."

Saitama stared at him for a moment with a deadpan expression before he smiled. "What? That's ridiculous. She's just cute. Even you think she's cute, right?"

"Noriko-san is attractive, but her personality isn't my type," the cyclist stated. He ate in silence for a moment, pondering what to say to break the tension. "How's Koneko-san?"

The younger catgirl had taken her exam and passed with high scores, but the Hero Association had been hesitant to give her a high ranking due to her age and her past as a rampaging monster. After much deliberation, they had agreed to give her a Class B ranking and assign her jobs they deemed appropriate for someone her age. "She's doing okay. She keeps complaining about the jobs she gets, but I can tell she's having fun helping people."

"Didn't they say that she can move on to Class S when she reaches adulthood?" He saw Saitama nod once, the hero's eyes on the door. "I was wondering if she'll ever actually age. She was made to be that age, right?"

"I don't know." He saw his roommates finally enter the restaurant and smiled when they sat at the table with him. "Look who I ran into, you guys." Greetings were exchanged between Noriko and Mumen Rider, but Genos remained silent. "So what took so long?"

Noriko bowed her head, nervously fidgeting with the hem of her sweater sleeve. "Hn…I couldn't decide on a clean shirt."

He could not help but notice the satisfied look on the blonde's face. _Seriously? Wait. No, her face isn't red enough so they didn't do_ _ **that**_ _, but they did do something._ Saitama shook his head, deciding to not think about it. "So those dog monsters are getting ridiculous."

"Yes. I actually had the opportunity to fight one last week," Mumen Rider agreed. "It was a small one that was using a stick as a weapon. I thought it would be easy, but they're pretty sturdy. It took a while for me to defeat him."

"It's weird, right? I mean, we know that Kenta is making them. I thought he might be using them to try to lure Nya-chan somewhere, but there aren't any patterns to where they show up and they show up all over the place."

"He's probably making them and then just letting them loose," Noriko stated.

"Is he really that reckless?" the cyclist asked. "From what I'd heard, he was a genius, but if he's acting that rashly-"

"He is most likely making them as practice for the future. He was unable to get genetic material from Noriko so he is attempting to humanize animals instead of creating animal girls as he was before." Genos glared at Mumen Rider now. "Even if he is stupid, he is still persistent and calculating. We cannot afford to make assumptions that he is simply being reckless."

"It is kind of reckless though," the catgirl pointed out. "Mumen Rider, you've heard of Catman Scavenger, haven't you?"

As the girl continued her conversation with the hero, Saitama looked at Genos. _He looks pretty mad. Because she defended Mumen Rider? Or is it because she's talking to Mumen Rider in general?_ He started eating the second that their food arrived, but kept his attention partially on his dining companions. The blonde was eating now, taking the cue from Saitama, but his gaze was fixed on the bespectacled hero as Noriko talked to him. _He gets jealous when she's talking to Mumen Rider. He got jealous when he found out that Sonic had a crush on her. He never gets jealous when I get close to her. Why is that?_

After watching the cyborg glower at the other hero for several minutes, Saitama decided to speak up. "Hey, I thought we talked about this."

"I am not glaring at him. I am not jealous of her speaking with him. I have decided that he poses no threat," Genos argued, keeping his voice low. Noriko's attention was now completely focused on her conversation with Mumen Rider.

"Really? So how do you decide if someone's a threat? If you think they might try to take her from you?" He saw Genos nod once in confirmation. _I guess I see how he thought of Sonic as a threat then; that weirdo literally picked her up and ran off with her once._ Saitama had finished his ramen now and glanced over at Noriko. She was smiling as she talked to the other hero, apparently having changed the subject to something more cheerful. "So if you saw a guy hugging her or something, would you see him as a threat?"

"Of course. If someone touches her, then I deem them a threat and I will annihilate them if they try to take her. Master Saitama, I know that you do not want me to be angry with Mumen Rider, but-"

"You've seen me hug her. But you don't see me as a threat, do you?"

Genos appeared taken aback by his mentor's words. "Master Saitama, I know that you have no impure feelings towards Noriko."

"How do you know that? I mean, what if I did?" His thoughts were going back to all of the times he had cuddled with her. She probably did not consider it cuddling, but he did. Every time she lied across his lap when they watched anime or when she sat curled up against his side.

"I know that you would never try to take her from me, Master Saitama."


	60. Chapter 60

_It's been over a month. This is taking too long._ Silently brooding, he walked along the wall as he had many times over the past several days. His gaze skimmed every inch for any sign of weakness, any possible hope that he could get through on his own. When he reached the end of the last wall, he stood glaring at it for a moment. Behind him, he could hear the voices of other prisoners quietly mocking him.

"Does he really think he's going to get out today? It's been over a month."

"You know he'll just do something stupid if he gets out. What kind of idiot gets into that kind of situation anyway?"

"I've seen that catgirl on television. She's cute, but I doubt she's really worth as much trouble as he's going through."

"That's what love does to you; it makes you into a _drooling idiot_."

He glanced at them over his shoulder and they all went silent. _Not worth my time. I could kill them before they even knew I was there, but it would be too easy. Not even worth a second of entertainment._ Tilting his head back, he looked up to where his only hope of escape resided. Though it was the last thing he wanted to do, he made his way up there. Of course, he had no intention to beg for help. Nor would he casually ask for it. The best course of action was much more difficult, but much more likely to yield the desired results.

"Oh? Did you come up here to play, Sonic~?"

Standing just outside of the bars of the cell, he scowled in disgust. "I'm not here for that. What are you doing?"

The man in the cell sighed in an overly dramatic fashion before settling back against his pillow. "I was watching Hero Gossip, but if you'd rather come in and take in a romantic comedy~" He batted his eyelashes in Sonic's direction, ignoring the way the other man cringed.

"How about the news?" He lingered beyond the bars, though the cell door was open. _If he thinks I'm going in there…_ Just the thought of it made him cringe again.

"Let's see." Puri Puri Prisoner changed the channel and made a gleeful sound. "Oh, it's Genos! Looks like another dog monster fight."

Sonic leaned forward a little to peer in at the screen. The news camera was just zooming in on a massive dog monster breathing fire in a snowy city street. As he watched, Noriko seemed to appear out of nowhere and use the building behind the monster to launch herself at the back of its neck. He saw the monster's blood splatter the snow and began to grin until he saw Genos. The cyborg was at Noriko's side, one arm wrapped around her waist as he smashed the monster's skull. _Of course he took her back. Why wouldn't he? She's a good find._

"Hmph. That purple-haired cat hussy! She doesn't know how good she has it; two gorgeous guys want her and are willing to fight over her. What I wouldn't give for that~" The taller man looked toward the ninja with a frown. "So is it true love then?"

His scowl deepened. "What are you talking about?"

Puri Puri Prisoner rolled his eyes. "You obviously like her a lot. Why else would you go through so much trouble? So is it true love?"

"I'm not talking about something like that with you."

"Fine. I don't want to talk about that little hussy anyway. Honestly, I don't see why you and Genos don't just share her. You both want her so badly."

"I'm not sharing her with _anyone_ ," Sonic said through gritted teeth. Just the thought of it made his stomach turn. "Just tell me if she comes on again. Or if you're leaving."

"You know, I should really charge you for every time I help you escape. Hm. Maybe I just won't tell you the next time. I know you're going to go after her so maybe I should just keep you here all to myself~"

He walked away halfway through the last sentence, frustration building. It was bad enough to be trapped in a prison, taken there by Noriko's boyfriend. It was worse to see her with her boyfriend on television and not be able to do anything about it. The worst thing, by far, was the way that he felt now that he had been away from her for over a month. He had carried a sliver of hope that being away from her would help him forget and that it might let him focus more on how he could defeat Saitama. Instead, she was suddenly on his mind more and more. He felt his chest grow tight when he thought about her and knew that he was missing her. _I'll get her back._

 **Shift P.O.V**

He felt warmer than he should have. That was his first realization when he started to wake up. The second was that there was something pressing down on him from above. He was lying on his back and was hesitant to open his eyes; half-expecting it to be a monster or even Sonic planning to try to fight him. Instead, he found a head of purple hair with two pointed feline ears. It was then that he noticed Noriko's face a short distance from his, her eyes closed and her expression peaceful. _This is bad! Oh, this is bad! Okay, what happened? Did I do this? Where's Genos?_ A glance toward Noriko's usual sleeping spot showed that Genos was no longer there. Panic began to set in instantly as he imagined every horrible reaction his friend could have.

The catgirl was lying on top of him beneath the blanket of his futon, her legs thankfully inside of his. He could feel her soft breasts pressed against his chest through her sleeping shirt and it was taking all of his concentration to not react. _If I get up, she'll wake up and think I did something. Did I? Did I drag her over here when I was half-asleep? I don't remember! Why are her hips moving?!_ He felt her hips shift back and forth a little, rubbing against him subconsciously. He gritted his teeth and quickly put an arm across her lower back to hold her still. _What is she dreaming about?_

They stayed in that position for several minutes as the hero tried to work through what had happened, while trying to not think about the girl's body rubbing against his. Unfortunately, it was already starting to cause a certain biological reaction in his lower half. _No! This is the worst time for that to happen!_ Saitama closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. _Okay, think about something else. What else?_ Settling on monsters, he managed to at least slow the pace of his heart. Very slowly, he put his other arm around her as well, his hand pressing against her upper back so her chest pushed tighter against his.

Noriko moved in her sleep, her arms going around his neck and nuzzling her face against his chest as she purred. The girl's hips moved again as her tail began to shift side to side. It was becoming clear that whatever dream she was having, it must be pleasant.

He let his other hand move to her lower back, just above her tail and her bottom. _If I touch that one spot, will it wake her up? Do I want her to wake up and see this? I still have no idea why she's in my futon. Or where Genos went. This is a little too much to handle so early in the morning._ His fingertips trailed over her lower spine, gently rubbing over the spot above her tail. His eyes went wide when her hips bucked against his and gritted his teeth. _And she's still asleep! I can't take much more of this!_

"Master." There had been no sound of footsteps. At least, there seemed to have been no sounds. Saitama had been rather distracted so perhaps the blonde had made some noise and he had simply missed it. Whatever the case, Genos was now standing over the futon with his gold and black eyes fixed on Noriko.

"Okay, before you jump to conclusions, I have no idea what she's doing in here and if I did something, I'm really, really sorry!" Saitama quickly explained.

Genos stared for a moment before sitting down beside the futon, wearing a look of faint fondness. "Noriko must have become cold when I left this morning. When cats get cold, they seek out the closest source of heat and sometimes burrow." He reached over to brush a lock of her hair behind her scarred human ear. "I am glad that you were here to keep her warm, Master Saitama. If you were not here, I am sure that she-"

"Look where my hand is." His hand had shifted downward, cupping her bottom. "Are you still glad?"

"Yes. You are keeping her warm by any means necessary."

"That's not…okay, fine. I'm keeping Nya-chan warm. Do you want to take her now so I can get up? This is getting awkward." The two made direct eye contact and Saitama frowned. "If you're not going to take her, can you at least stop staring? It's making me uncomfortable." As Genos carefully lifted Noriko off of him, he found his frown growing deeper. _He doesn't see me as a threat, even when she's in my bed with me. I don't know if I should be happy or insulted._ Watching his friend settle the girl on his lap, he tried not to recall how soft her body had felt or how her hair had smelled sweet and floral.

 **Shift P.O.V**

The first thing she noticed when she woke up was the smell of something tantalizing. Noriko's sharp green eyes opened quickly and she grabbed for the catnip mouse dangling in front of her face. It was tossed across the room and the girl pounced on it. She heard a laugh behind her and quickly felt her face turning red. _Damn it! These stupid cat tendencies!_ Turning toward Saitama and Genos, she frowned. "Hn…I don't see what's so funny."

"It wasn't funny. It was just really cute," Saitama stated, snickering.

"Noriko, can I see that catnip mouse?" Genos held out a hand, his expression serious.

She brought it over and sat beside him, despairing in her embarrassment. _Why do I do stupid stuff like this? I'm more human than cat! Right? I'm a human! I just…have some cat genes._ Her tail was starting to swish slowly behind her as she stared down at her lap.

"Noriko." The cyborg waited for her to look over. "There it goes." He watched her dive after it, a faint smile taking form on his face.

When she returned this time, she sat closer to Saitama and glared down at the toy mouse in her hands. "It's not cute. It's annoying because it's not something that I can control."

He reached over to rub behind one of her feline ears, still wearing his dopey smile. "You're right; it was a little more hot than cute. Doesn't help that you're not wearing pants." When he saw her cheeks turn red, it filled him with a strange satisfaction. "You're even cuter when you blush like that," he said, moving to rub under her chin.

As much as she hated to give in to her cat tendencies, she started to purr. _Why does he have to say embarrassing stuff like that?_ She let him continue for a while before turning her head to the side. "Hn…that's enough, okay?"

"Okay, okay." Saitama yawned and gave her a curious look. "So what's for breakfast?"

She raised an eyebrow at the abrupt change of topic, but sighed. "I haven't decided yet. Can you wait for a while? I want to take a bath first."

"Didn't need to know that."

Noriko snickered and made her way to the bathroom, tail swishing side to side as she walked. _There's been no sign of Kenta, but the dog monsters seem to be increasing. As long as Kenta is alive, they'll keep being made and I know that Koneko will be in danger. So far, nothing's happened to her. And then…there's Sonic._ She started running the water for her bath and frowned down at her reflection in the water. The girl let her fingertips trail through the hot, soapy water as she thought about the man. _He hasn't escaped from prison. Yet. I need a plan for if he does get out though. He'll either come after me and Genos or he'll target Koneko to try to get my attention. If anything were to happen to Koneko…_

The bathroom door closed and locked behind her. Trembling a little with nervousness and anticipation, she glanced over her shoulder. "Ah…need something?" she asked, turning back to her bath water.

He crossed the room quickly and soon had her back pressed to the wall, one hand gripping her upper arm. She bowed her head to avoid his intense gaze, but he lifted her chin with his free hand. Her eyes were wide when they met his. "Do you have any idea what I want to do to you?" Watching her visibly quiver, he leaned down to her right feline ear. "I am not sure what it is about seeing you blush, but it makes me want to take you wherever we are."

Noriko moved to wrap her arms around his neck, but he caught both of her wrists in one hand and pinned them above her head against the wall. "Hn…G-Genos…if we're both in here for this long…"

"Master Saitama will not mind." The blonde pushed his hips forward, grinding against her as she leaned her head back. "I want to-"

"What are you guys doing in there?" Saitama's voice came through the door.

Genos quickly looked over, half-expecting Saitama to have somehow gotten in. "We will be done soon," he stated before turning his gaze back to Noriko.

"I'm starting to get kind of bummed out. Why do you both have to be in there at the same time anyway? You're not doing something-"

"We will not be in here for much longer. Master Saitama, please wait-" The blonde cut himself off with a quiet groan as the catgirl leaned up to kiss the side of his neck. Feeling her soft, warm lips against the chilled metal ignited his lust again and he turned his attention away from the door. "Noriko…"

"What? Seriously, what's going on in there? Nya-chan, did you do something?"

She purred and moved her lips to the blonde's, pulling at her wrists in a futile effort to try to break free. When he refused to let go, she let one of her fangs nip at his bottom lip, sending a shiver through him. _It's just a small revenge. For that time in the kitchen, when Saitama walked in. You weren't embarrassed then, but how about now?_

"By the way, you didn't go in there because you were secretly jealous about Nya-chan sleeping on top of me this morning, right? Like, you weren't planning to follow her into the bathroom and do something, right?" Saitama's tone was casual with no hints of accusation, but the words definitely struck a nerve of some sort.

Noriko felt her boyfriend push harder against her hips, leaning down to her ear. The words that came from him made her knees tremble and soon his hold on her wrists was the only thing keeping her upright. "Ngh…G-Genos~"

"Okay, I'm leaving. Call me when you're done doing whatever it is you're doing."

She was vaguely aware of the apartment door slamming shut. Most of her attention was on Genos and the way his mouth felt as it covered hers. Very carefully, she leaned most of her weight back and lifted her legs around his waist, locking her ankles behind his back. _Why does it always feel so good? His body is metal so it should just hurt, right? It would hurt a normal girl. But…this feels really good. Just being close to him like this._ She broke the kiss and leaned up to rub her cheek against his, savoring the gradually warming surface.


	61. Chapter 61

He was unsure of why he had left the building. It made sense to leave the apartment itself; the thought of staying there while his roommates engaged in romantic activities left him feeling rather crestfallen. The air outside was cold and a look at the cloudy grey sky made him think that it might start snowing. Walking alone down the desolate street, he found himself feeling lonelier than he could ever remember feeling before. This part of the city had absolutely no people walking through it at this time of day so the only sound around him was the crunch of snow beneath his feet.

Taking a deep breath, he found the frigid air to be almost refreshing. Though the cold reminded him of the situation he had woken to. Saitama was still a little upset that Genos had such a small reaction to it. _He doesn't think of me as a threat because he doesn't think Nya-chan will leave him for me. He probably thinks that she doesn't think of me as a guy. Or does he really have such a high opinion of me that he thinks I wouldn't make a move?_ He rubbed the back of his neck, yawning as he wondered what he would do to kill time.

Continuing down the snowy road, he thought back to the previous morning's strength training with Noriko. Her tail had puffed up and she shivered the whole time they were outside, but she had not complained once. In fact, she had worn a firm look of determination the entire time she trained. He sighed and paused at an intersection in the road. _I don't know what's worse; liking her or knowing that Genos would have no problem if I did like her. He just thinks too much of me, probably. It still bothers me though. He doesn't care if I'm groping his girlfriend's butt, but he gets mad at Mumen Rider for talking to her. What's that about?_

Saitama looked down one side of the road and then down the other, though he knew that no cars or people would be in his part of the city. Not at that time in the morning and certainly not with so much snow on the ground. He decided to turn left and reflected upon that morning's events. _It's probably the closest I'll ever to get to her. I don't want to do that again. It'll just make me feel worse when Genos reacts. Or doesn't react. How long are they going to take anyway?_ For a brief instant, he thought about the time he had walked in on them in the kitchen. Remembering the way Noriko was bent over the counter with Genos driving his hips into hers made the man's pulse race. Shaking his head, he sighed again. "I wonder what she would have thought if she had woken up sooner. She probably would have apologized. She probably would have blushed, but it's not like she thinks of me that way."

"Saitama, good morning." A bicycle drew up beside the bald hero, sending up a flurry of light snow behind him. "You're out early. Are you going somewhere?"

"Huh? Oh, hey, Mumen Rider. I'm just going for a walk. You're looking for monsters?"

"I was looking for anyone that might need help." He said this with a bit of confidence, but it quickly deflated as he glanced up and down the street. "Fortunately, not many people are out today so no one's needed my help yet. Are you walking anywhere in particular?" He leaned forward on his bicycle's handlebars, frowning. "You look sort of down."

"Not really. And I'm just out so Genos and Nya-chan can be alone. _You know_."

The other hero tilted his head. "Is something wrong?"

"No. Do I look like it?" He attempted his usual smile, but knew that it was unconvincing. "What are you doing for Christmas?"

"Um…I don't yet. Do you have plans?"

"Maybe. Hey, let me go with you on your search. I have some time to kill."

 **Shift P.O.V**

Noriko bit her lower lip, trying to smother any sound that might escape her. Though she had heard the apartment door shut, she could not help but feel self-conscious. The bathroom floor was cold against her back and arms as her hips shifted anxiously. Her wrists were bound behind her back with clothesline, a belt cinched across her chest to keep her arms at her sides. She felt her face turning red as she glanced up at Genos, trying not to appear eager. When their friend had gone, he had acted quickly and now it was just a matter of time.

He was kneeling on the floor at her side, eyes skimming over every inch of her pale, bare skin. One hand tentatively started at her left thigh, gently running his metal fingertips along her flesh. He followed every curve, tracing over her hip, stomach, and ribs, until he reached her upper chest. The belt was cinched just beneath her bust, giving it an even more ample appearance and the sight of her timid facial expression only made it more tantalizing. His hand moved to her breast, tenderly kneading the soft mound of flesh as she struggled to remain silent.

She turned her head to the side, biting down harder upon her bottom lip until she tasted blood. The metal of his hand was warm and the gentle way that he massaged her chest soon had her muffling soft moans. Noriko could feel her opening growing wet at his actions and subconsciously rubbed her thighs together. This did not go unnoticed by Genos, who was soon letting his free hand trail up her inner thigh. "Ngh…"

The blonde shifted so his body sort of hovered over hers, his lips brushing over her ear and making it twitch. "I have wanted to try this for a while. Are you certain that this is something that you want to try?"

The girl nodded once, but her body began to tremble. She felt the hand on her chest move, his fingertips brushing over the peak of her breast before taking her nipple between two fingers. Her hips rolled up, seeking some form of friction to ease her arousal, but found it only increasing when he tugged. Jolts of pleasure raced through her, the girl's hands curling into fists behind her back as she desperately wanted to hold onto something. _He said that he wanted to try something that he saw in a manga, but I'm pretty sure that was a hentai! I shouldn't be getting this excited! My heart feels like it's going to beat out of my chest…just from being bound like this. Just from his body being so close to mine._

He could not help but smirk ever so slightly at her reactions to his touch. Her body was shifting in ecstasy beneath him as he absently toyed with her nipple, tugging gently and rolling it between his fingers. When she began to pant and moan quietly, he knew that it was becoming tortuous. She finally moved her eyes to meet his and he saw a desperation in her gaze, mingled with a heavy lust. He moved the fingers of his other hand further up her inner thigh, slowly rubbing them over her moist lower lips. Noriko's back arched and she pressed her mouth to the side of his neck to smother a moan.

"Seeing you like this makes it hard to hold back," he stated, almost in warning. He slipped one finger past her folds and pressed it against her clit, watching her throw her head back. A loud moan left her lips, followed by a cry of his name. "Do you want me inside of you, Noriko?" Her face instantly turned red again and she looked away. "I want to make love to you until you cannot think about anything else. I want you to say only my name and I want to hear you scream it as you come undone." Noriko was trembling beneath him now as he pushed his finger into her, the metal digit sliding into her wet opening with ease. Genos slowly thrust it in and out of her, feeling her get wetter with each push.

Noriko wanted desperately to hold onto him, but her hands were still trapped behind her back. The sensation of her clit being pressed by his thumb made her gasp, hips pushing up and forcing his finger deeper into her. He added another, stretching her muscles and filling her. Green eyes met gold and black ones as she panted. "G-Genos~" She withheld a yelp as his hand drew away from her and she suddenly found herself being flipped over onto her knees. The girl felt his warm metal chest against her back, one hand still teasing her breast as the other slipped between her legs. "Wait…Genos…what-? Ngh! Hn….nyahhh~" His fingers spread her lower lips open wide and the head of his member entered her. Noriko threw her head back against his shoulder, her pleasure mounting as he used one arm to hold her in place.

Thrusting his hips up, he buried himself in her warmth. His eyes closed and he savored the slick grip of her opening. The heat radiating from within her seemed to envelope him completely. His other hand left her breast to tilt her head back and turn her face toward his. "I want to hear you say my name again, Noriko."

"G-Genos…hnyaaaah~" She felt him strike a spot deep within her that seemed to make her whole body shiver with delight. A warmth was spreading up from her lower half, slowly moving throughout her body as she pressed her lips to his. The cyborg was now using his hold on the girl to steady her as his hips pounded up into hers. When he broke the kiss, it was so he could force her gaze downward to where their bodies met. She felt her heart race at the sight of his metal cock sliding in and out of the warmth between her legs, slick and shining with her juices. _Why is he making me look at this? And why does it feel like I'm getting wetter?!_

He slipped one hand down her stomach, resting just above her stretched opening. The sound of her panting and moaning was driving him mad. Something about it just urged him on and made him want to do more, but he had to remind himself that this was a test to see how comfortable she would be with the techniques that he had seen in the manga. His other hand teased her nipples, switching between the two to keep her constantly squirming against him. "Noriko, does it turn you on to watch me enter you?"

"Hn…wh-why do you…have to ask such an embarrassing question?"

He smirked and let the hand below her stomach drift further down her body. His fingertips rubbed over her clit, savoring the loud moan that his actions drew from her. The blonde drove his member deeper into her opening, striking her sensitive spot again and again. "Answer my question." He punctuated each word with a rough thrust of his hips, making her yelp in pleasure.

"I don't…want to say something so embarrassing…" she replied, panting. Her face was already bright red and the blush seemed to darken after he asked his question. Noriko felt him slip out of her and for a moment she thought she had truly angered him. Instead, she found herself being turned around and pushed onto her back on the floor. She blinked up at him once before her eyes went wide, feeling him thrust into her once more. "Ngh! Aaaah~"

"I want to hear your answer," he continued, gripping her chin so she was forced to face him. The warm color spreading across her cheeks made his mechanical heart beat faster and before he could stop himself, his hips were hammering into hers. His arms slipped beneath her knees, pulling her lower half up a little so he could push in deeper. Her warm, wet muscles clenched around him quickly and he gritted his teeth to keep from groaning at the feeling. "Tell me, Noriko."

She could see that he was determined, even through her post-climax haze and she knew that he would not give up on hearing her say it. He certainly had the stamina. "F-fine. It…it does t-turn me on…when I see you going into me." Her stomach turned with embarrassment, but she was soon glad that she had said it.

Genos rewarded her for indulging him by leaning down to kiss along her neck. "I find it arousing as well. You feel so warm and wet on the inside, Noriko. I want to see if I can make you even wetter."

"P-please…Genos~" The girl threw her head back, muscles tightening around his cock again as he rubbed her clit. She could feel herself growing wetter with the rush of juices from her climax and soon she was being carried to the wall. He wrapped an arm around her waist to hold her and continued to drive his member deep into her soaking folds, moving his lips down her neck to her collarbone. Noriko closed her eyes and tipped her head back against the wall as his mouth moved further down her chest. _Wait…what is he going to do?_

He heard her gasp when his lips closed on her right breast in a gentle kiss and it only urged him on to his next action. Leaning down a little more, he took her nipple between his lips and flicked his tongue over the tip. Her hips thrust forward to meet his, her back arching as a yowling moan escaped her. It was then that his climax hit and it hit him hard. He filled her, lubrication dripping from her opening even before he pulled out. When he left her warmth, it was with reluctance, but he knew that Saitama would return soon. His lips traveled back up her body until he reached her lips. Their mouths locked in a fiery kiss that had her whimpering.

When her restraints were removed, Noriko was finally able to wrap her arms around him. "Genos, I need to ask. What manga have you been reading that you're getting ideas like this?"

"It was a manga that I found hidden near Master Saitama's futon. I sometimes see him reading it and he seems to get great enjoyment from it." Genos pulled away a little, a flicker of irritation passing over his features. "Noriko, Master Saitama is not your type. When he had hair, he would have been your type, correct?"

"Hn…I don't know. It doesn't really matter though. I'm not dating him."

"I realize this, but I was simply curious. Master Saitama is a great man. If you had chosen to date him, I would understand."

"What are you trying to say? He's not my type, but you wouldn't have a problem with it if I dated him?" She felt him firmly grip her shoulders and the girl was tugged forward so that their eyes met directly. There was a fire to his gaze that made her tremble.

"That is not what I meant and I know that he would not do that. But if someone else were to then I would be forced to take you back by any means necessary. I do not intend to lose you again, Noriko." His face moved closer to hers, his burning gaze making her flinch. "Do you understand? If you were to date another person, I would be forced to annihilate them. I would take you in front of them and then destroy them. Do you understand now?"

 _That is by far the most unsettling thing I've ever heard someone say. I should be terrified. But this is Genos…my boyfriend. The man that I love._ _And this side of him is actually kind of cute._ She smirked and leaned up to nip at his bottom lip. "Alright. But the same goes for if you see other girls. Or if you start thinking about other girls."

He smirked back now. "I would like to see you try to take me in front of them."

"Hn. Is that a challenge, Genos?"

The apartment door opened, followed by a call of greeting from Saitama. Genos looked toward the bathroom door and released Noriko in order to get dressed. "The only reason why I asked was because you crawled into his futon early this morning. I went to fight a monster and when I returned, you were sleeping on top of Master Saitama." For a split second, he appeared furious. It quickly faded into satisfaction. "I am glad that he is not your type."

She watched him leave the room and locked the door behind him. _I crawled into Saitama's futon this morning? I don't even remember doing that._


	62. Chapter 62

_What the hell are these things doing here?!_ Noriko dodged a swipe of large claws, rolling over the snowy ground. Running at the beast, she jumped up and ran one sword through its jaws to effectively stun it as she shoved the other blade deep into an eye socket. She planted a boot against its snout and pushed off as hard as she could, flipping backwards to land neatly on her feet. Her tail whipped back and forth as she watched the monster reel back, howling in pain.

The catgirl glanced over her shoulder at Genos, who was currently engaged in a fight with what seemed to be a humanoid eel monster that was shooting electricity from its mouth. Its limbs dripped a greasy fluid that steamed lightly in the cold air, the eel's face contorted into sheer delight each time it tried to hit the cyborg. He managed to wound it a few times, but the monster was still pushing itself to try to damage him. It was quite fast and the few blasts of electricity that hit him left singe marks on his metal body along with burning holes in his clothes.

She was worried, but knew that he was more than capable of defeating the monster himself. As she shifted to avoid another swipe of her enemy's claws, she glanced to Saitama. He had gone with them just at the off chance that they might need help, but he was certain that they could kill the monsters themselves. Noriko dodged another attack, this one from what seemed to be a horrific fusion of human and sea urchin. It shot spines out of its hands and face, nearly hitting her many times. _I have to finish them quickly! Even if we are kind of far from the inhabited part of City Z, it's still too close! Why were they waiting for us in the street?!_ Twisting to avoid a shot of spines, she saw a fourth creature emerge from an alley down the road.

"Whoa. They just keep coming, huh? You think Kenta sent them?" Saitama asked, watching the humanoid boar charge in their direction.

"Who's Kenta?! We are the Dark Alley Gang and we're here to take over the city's ramen shops!" the boar shouted in answer. His eyes went wide as something struck his back, stopping him from reaching the heroes. A look over his shoulder made him snort in amusement. He reached to the bicycle that had struck his back and drew back his arm to toss it at the man standing down the street.

"Damn it! Move!" Noriko rushed to block the hit, throwing herself in front of Mumen Rider and feeling his bike hit her square in the back. "Ngh. Wh-what are you doing here-?"

"I've got this!" a high pitched voice called from further down the street.

To Noriko's absolute horror, Koneko sprinted at the boar monster on all fours and launched herself onto its back. Her fangs latched onto the back of his neck and she pulled hard, tearing open his flesh and spraying her pink coat with blood. She landed on her feet triumphantly, shifting her eyes to Noriko as the boar monster collapsed to his knees. "Big sister, I'm here to help! Mumen Rider and I heard your voice and followed it here! So we'll handle this guy while you take those two!"

 _Seriously? Wait…were they working together today?_ Shaking her head to try to focus, she nodded. "Alright, but if you get hurt-!"

"If I get hurt, Saitama-sensei will help me!" Turning back to the monster, she grinned and displayed her bloody teeth. "You think I'll let you get away with hurting my big sister?! I'm going to tear you apart and harvest your flesh for sensei!"

The older catgirl hurried to aide Genos. While she had been preoccupied, the sea urchin monster and ferret monster had both shifted their attention to the cyborg. Noriko felt a few spines pierce her forearm as she drew in close to the sea urchin, gritting her teeth against the pain. Her blood dripped to the snow at her feet, the metallic scent igniting her predatory instincts. With a low snarl, she thrust her blade into the monster's chest. The spines all over its body pierced deeper into her forearms and shallowly into her own chest as she pushed all of her weight into the sword. The monster's body spasmed, drool running from its mouth as it looked down at her. She was so focused on the sea urchin that she barely had time to react when the ferret monster tried to rake its claws down her back. Noriko turned quickly to attempt to stab it as well, but saw a metal hand clenching its throat from behind.

Genos hurled the monster into a nearby building and pursued, determined to end its life for attempting to hurt the catgirl. He was so preoccupied that he did not notice the eel swiftly approaching her until it was shooting electricity directly at the girl's chest. She tried to move back, but froze when she was grabbed by a warm human hand and lifted into someone's arms.

Saitama dodged the monster's attacks, frowning a little at needing to get involved. While he did trust in their abilities, he was not about to watch the catgirl get electrocuted again. "Hey, I know I said I'd let you guys handle this, but can I finish this guy? He's really annoying."

"Hn…I-I guess." Noriko closed her eyes in anticipation and heard a loud splatter as all of the monsters innards spilled onto the ground behind it. _I'm just glad this wasn't a repeat of the giant boar monster incident._ She glanced up at her friend and saw him smiling. "Wh-what?"

"Can I get a thank you?"

"Thank you, Saitama." To her confusion, he was now giving her an expectant stare. _What does he want me to say? I did thank him just now._ She leaned up to hug him and felt him almost awkwardly pat her on the back. "Thanks."

"No problem. I couldn't let you get shocked again, Nya-chan. Last time you got shocked, we didn't know if you'd wake up again or not. Life isn't the same without you." He set her down and patted her head, still wearing that dopey smile.

As the two stood there, they watched the rest of the fight. Genos was quick to finish off the ferret monster. Koneko was drawing out her battle with the humanoid boar, grinning sadistically while Mumen Rider did his best to keep up with her. Noriko watched the younger catgirl with a strange sense of pride, seeing her make strategic wounds all over the creature's body and corralling it so it could not escape.

"She's pretty fast. Did the old lady train her or something?"

"Hn…apparently Sonic was tutoring her before her exam," Noriko replied. She sighed in frustration, a little angry that the child seemed to have actually thrived from the education.

"She's pretty smart, too. Look at how she's handling it; like she made a plan or something. It's impressive for someone her age. Whoa. Is she really disemboweling that thing?! Isn't that going a little too far?"

"Koneko is getting revenge for the monster harming Noriko," Genos spoke up, standing with them now. The three watched the small catgirl tear into the monster's stomach with her teeth and nails, a terrifying giggle escaping her as she worked. "I had thought she was joking about harvesting the meat."

"Hey, it's free meat. I'm not going to complain." Saitama did cringe a little when Koneko proudly walked up to him with a bundle of raw pork in her arms. Not only was it dripping blood, but the red substance was also all over the lower half of her face and covered the front of her coat. "What's this?"

"It's a gift for you, Saitama-sensei! I said I'd harvest the meat for you, didn't I? We can all eat this together!" she insisted, offering it to him.

He reached down to ruffle her hair, smiling. "How about _you_ carry that? Hey, Mumen Rider, do you want to join us for lunch?"

When they got to the apartment, Noriko immediately ran a bath for Koneko and insisted on the child washing away the blood. Meanwhile, she sat awkwardly with the other three heroes in the sitting room. _Why does it feel so tense with her out of the room though?_ She looked around at each of her friends and frowned, her tail curling at the end. "Hn…it's pretty cold today, isn't it? Uh…so…Mumen Rider, did you just happen to run into Koneko or…?" She felt a metal arm wrap around her waist before being pulled onto her boyfriend's lap.

"Yes. I was looking for people to help and she spotted me as she was coming into town. I think she was planning to come here, but when I said that I was patrolling she decided to join me. I guess it's lucky that we heard you guys," the cyclist explained.

"Are you implying that we needed your help to defeat those monsters? We would have been able to do it without your help. We might have done it faster," Genos stated, tightening his arm possessively around Noriko.

"No. Of course not. I know that you could have beaten it yourself. I didn't mean to-"

"Hey, so you guys know that Christmas is coming up, right? We should have a Christmas party," Saitama interrupted, determined to lighten the mood.

There was a moment of silence as each person considered this suggestion. Noriko's ears went back and she bowed her head. "Actually…I haven't celebrated Christmas since I was twelve and Koneko's never celebrated Christmas at all."

"Then we pretty much have to. It'll be her first Christmas." The thought seemed to please him a little and he smiled. "We should probably invite King, too."

"Is that really a good idea? Koneko-san once told me that she tried to eat him." Mumen Rider's words made everyone turn to stare at him. He rubbed the back of his neck, looking away. "When you had me babysit her, she told me a lot of stories about when she was separated from Noriko-san. She said that she was trying to find Genos once and went after King because she got confused."

Saitama glanced over at Genos and could not help but snicker. "Sorry. I mean, after hearing that, I'm just trying to imagine Koneko trying to eat you."

"If we are having a party, it should just be the occupants of this apartment and Koneko," the cyborg said, looking directly at Mumen Rider.

"What? That's no fun." A smile started to form on Saitama's face again as he reached out a hand to Noriko. She raised an eyebrow in question and took his hand, giving it a small shake with confusion clear on her face. With a sharp tug, he pulled her off of the blonde's lap and over to him. "Sit with me for a while, Nya-chan. You're always sitting with Genos."

"Hn…o-okay. I guess." She frowned slightly, feeling the hero slowly drawing her onto his lap. _What is he doing?_ Her eyes wandered down to her wounded forearms and chest as she felt something warm and sticky against her skin. "Oh…"

"Ouch. That looks like it hurts."

"Noriko, I will take care of your wounds. I bought a spare medical kit for the kitchen." Genos went to get it and when he sat down to start bandaging her, he was interrupted by a high pitched voice behind him.

"Hey! Senpai, didn't I say that I wanted sensei to take care of my big sister?!" Koneko demanded, glaring at the blonde.

"I am more than capable of taking care of her wounds. Master Saitama should not have to do this himself. Noriko, give me your arm."

"I said no and I meant it, _creepy blonde_! Only sensei can take care of big sister's wounds! Or me! I'll do it!" Koneko took the roll of bandage from him and plopped down in front of Noriko, seemingly unaware of the fact that the older catgirl was on her sensei's lap. "Hold out your arm, big sister."

She reluctantly obliged, holding out her forearm so Koneko could wrap it in bandage. The child looked so completely content that Noriko could not help but feel a little happy for her. _She's happy that she can help me. After seeing her fight that boar though, it's hard to imagine her not becoming stronger than me. Pretty soon she'll be strong enough that she'll be the one protecting me and I'll just…be a weak bystander._ The thought made her frown a little, but her despair quickly turned to confusion when she felt her friend's arms wrap around her from behind, resting just under her bust. "Hn. Saitama, what are you doing?"

"I don't know. You just feel really comfy." His chest pressed against her back and he lifted her wrist, examining the bandaging that Koneko had done. "Looks good, kid. Did the old lady show you how to do this?"

"Yep! Granny taught me how to take care of cuts, too! There was this cow that got into a fight with a really big cat and…" She continued her story, pale green eyes shining with enthusiasm as she recounted the tale.

Noriko nodded, listening intently, but she was acutely aware of the warmth of her friend's body against her back. When she felt her wrist being drawn back, she initially thought nothing of it. It was when she felt the warmth of a mouth through the bandage that she jumped a little. "Saitama? Seriously…what are you doing?"

"What? You've never kissed a wound to make it feel better?" he teased.

"Does that really work?" Koneko asked, her tail whipping back and forth.

He shrugged. "Maybe. We'll find out." Subtly glancing at Genos, he saw a flicker of something in his facial expression. Beaming now, he turned his gaze back to the child. "Hey, Koneko. If you could have parents, what would you want them to be like?"

She tilted her head, ears perked forward. "Hn? Parents? Like a mom and dad?" The girl grinned at him over Noriko's shoulder, ignoring how the older catgirl grimaced. "I'd definitely want a mom like big sister! Granny isn't as sweet! And I'd want a dad that's _strong_ like sensei or senpai! You're the strongest guys I know!"

Saitama's arms tightened around Noriko, leaning forward a little. "You wouldn't want one like Sonic?"

"Nope! Sonic-sensei is fast, but he isn't as strong or as cool as you and Genos-senpai!" Koneko insisted, grinning.

"Okay, but you can only have one dad. Who would you pick?"

Noriko shook her head. "Why are we even talking about this? Let's talk about something. Or at least let me get up so I can take care of the wounds on my chest." The feeling of his body heat was reminding her of what Genos had told her a few days prior. _I still can't believe I crawled into Saitama's bed and was sleeping on top of him. That's so embarrassing!_

"Okay, okay. Sorry, Nya-chan." He let her stand, watching Genos intercept her on her way to the bathroom. "Anyway, it was just a hypothetical question, Koneko-chan."

"Hn. But I _do_ have an answer. If I had to pick a dad, I'd pick you! You're the strongest and the coolest! You're the best Saitama-sensei!" Koneko wrapped her arms around his neck in a tight hug, grinning and baring her fangs cutely.

Noriko saw this display and felt her right ear twitch as Genos stepped closer to her. "Sorry about her. Don't let it bother you, okay?"

"That is not what is bothering me. I do not like her choice, but I am bothered by something else."


	63. Chapter 63

It was her first Christmas in about six years and she had mixed emotions about celebrating. Sitting at the table, Noriko found her gaze drifting to the clear door of the balcony. Outside, snow swirled and danced on the wind. It was beautiful, but reminded her of how disgustingly cold it was outside. She released a sigh and drew her knees to her chest, staring out the doorway as she found herself wondering for a second about Sonic's condition. _Genos said that he took him to prison. Not that I'm worried about him. I know he's fine. He always is. And I haven't forgiven him for what he did to me and the others._

A fingertip pressed against the base of her tail and ran along its length, making her jolt. "Hnnnnyahh! What-?!" She turned quickly to find Saitama giving her a deadpan stare. "Wh-why did you do that?" she demanded, pulling her tail close against her side.

"Your tail is puffed up. It's cute." He saw her turn back to the doorway and raised an eyebrow. "Everything okay? You seem kind of out of it today, Nya-chan."

"I'm fine." She sighed again, hoping that he would shift his focus elsewhere. Noriko had woken to a rather bizarre situation that she was trying hard to forget. _Genos said before that he found me sleeping on top of Saitama before. I had kind of hoped that he was joking, but I guess not._ Remembering how she had woken in Saitama's futon, with her arms around him and her body pressed close against his, she felt her face heat up. Of course she had immediately apologized and gone to the bathroom to calm herself, but something made her think that he would still bring it up later.

"Hey, is this about you crawling into my futon again? Genos said it's because cats seek out body heat or something like that."

"Hn…it's still embarrassing though. I'm too old to be crawling into other people's beds. And I'm only _part_ cat. I'm still a person. I should have better control over my instincts," she mumbled, chewing on her thumbnail. "I'm sorry that that happened."

He laughed. "Why do you think I'm mad? There are way worse things that I could've woken up to. Besides, your body is pretty comfy." His eyes widened slightly and he looked away, rubbing the back of his head. "I mean, it's nice. It's soft. It's not like you're Genos."

Noriko looked at her friend and tilted her head. "Ah…okay. Now I feel compelled to ask if he's gotten into your futon before."

"What?! No way! That's just weird, Nya-chan!"

She snickered and shook her head. "Yeah. That would be weird. So…did he leave a note this time?" Her voice held a bit of melancholy as she spoke. _He said he'd stop doing this. Disappearing while I'm asleep to go fight monsters. And to do this on Christmas Eve just makes it worse._ Her tail started to flick back and forth in irritation the more she thought about it.

"I couldn't find a note. He'll probably be back soon though." He saw her tail begin to puff up again and was reminded of how they had both woken that morning. They had both been sleeping on their sides, facing each other, her tail draped over his side, and she had immediately apologized and fled to the bathroom when their eyes met. Saitama followed her gaze out to the snow and he frowned.

Noriko shivered a little as she watched snowflakes fall against the clear door now. _I hope he gets back soon._ She jolted as something heavy settled over her shoulders. This was followed by a warm body settling beside her, pulling the blanket over their shoulders as well. "Saitama? What…are you cold?"

"No, but I know that _you_ are. Just lean against me." When she hesitantly did as he said, he felt a rush of satisfaction. Her head rested against his shoulder, letting his body heat warm her. "Maybe you need an electric blanket."

"I just need to bundle up better." She was more than happy to sit beside Saitama beneath the blanket, watching the snow as they waited for their friend's return. The Christmas party was to be small and it was set to take place around dinner time. Noriko had brainstormed what foods to make with Genos the previous night and though she was excited, she still felt a bit melancholic when she reflected back on her past Christmas celebrations.

"So Koneko's really never celebrated Christmas?"

"Hn…Kenta kept her mostly ignorant about the outside world. He got mad whenever I told her about it so after she was created, I was never allowed to even mention it," she replied. _My family. I wonder what they would say if they knew I had a child. A weird two or three year old child that looks twelve or thirteen. Why does everything have to be weird?_

Saitama yawned and moved closer. "Don't worry; we'll make her first Christmas a good one. She's come a long way, huh? She used to be so evil."

"Yeah. I can tell that she's making an effort to try to be good now."

"Remember when you first got here? You were going to kill her and then kill yourself so you could erase every trace of Kenta's existence, right? Aren't you glad you didn't do that after all?" He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her snug against his side.

She bit her thumbnail as she nodded. "Yeah…because he's still alive. And I've learned so much more about her since she and I reunited. I know I could never kill her now."

"I'm glad that things didn't turn out the way you had planned."

 **Shift P.O.V**

Genos opened the apartment door and stood frozen for a moment, staring at his roommates. They were sitting near the balcony door, huddled together under a blanket, and talking quietly. When Noriko looked at him over her shoulder, he tilted his head ever so slightly. _What are they doing? Was she cold?_ _Why is he so close to her? I am certain that he knows how I feel about other men getting so close to her._ His gold and black eyes met Saitama's as the bald hero looked over. "Is everything alright, Master Saitama?"

"Huh? Yeah, it's fine. It's fine. She was just cold. Right, Nya-chan?" The man ruffled her long violet hair, his fingertips lingering just a little too long for the cyborg's liking.

Though he was not about to admit it, he knew that he was feeling jealousy. Just seeing Noriko so close to another man sparked anger within him, regardless of who it was. Of course, he could never admit to this. He would especially never tell his mentor that he was jealous of him. "Noriko, I will warm you up," he started, igniting his internal heat.

"Hn. I don't really want to leave this blanket," she replied, frowning.

"I will come over there and join you then." Without giving it even a fraction of a second thought, Genos crossed the room and squeezed his way beneath the blanket on her other side. One arm wrapped around her waist and dragged her to sit between his legs, letting his heat envelope her. "Is that better?" He saw her face turning red and smirked, leaning down to her feline ear. "If you would like to take this somewhere more private, I can warm you up more."

"G-Genos…" She bit her bottom lip, one fang showing almost seductively.

"You know, I'm still sitting right here," Saitama spoke up from beside him.

"Master Saitama, if you do not want us to…" He paused, allowing certain emotions to cross his features. A particular possessive smirk as he looked down at Noriko, a flicker of taunting. He hated himself for acting this way in front of his mentor, but when his jealousy ignited it was difficult to stop himself. _I am becoming increasingly aware that Master Saitama has feelings for Noriko, but I do not know what those feelings are exactly. If I were to ask him, I am sure that he would not give me an answer. I cannot speak to him the way that I do to Mumen Rider when I become angry with him. I feel as if I would be betraying him somehow._

The catgirl twisted in his hold to face him and nuzzled her cheek against his neck. Her pale skin was faintly cold and when she leaned up to thread her fingers into his hair, he could feel that her fingertips were chilled. She purred quietly, reveling in the heat radiating from Genos. "I don't want to move. It's too cold."

"Okay, seriously. You guys need to stop."

The blonde raised an eyebrow and something began to dawn on him. _Every time Noriko and I do something like this, he says that it makes him feel lonely._ Before he could stop himself, Genos opened his mouth and the words spilled forth. "Master Saitama, would you prefer to join us?"

"Genos, what the hell?! Don't even joke about stuff like that!"

"I was not joking. You always say that you feel lonely when we do things like this and I can only assume that you wish to be a part of it. Am I wrong?"

"Yeah! That's _really_ wrong! Look, you made Nya-chan's face turn red."

 **Shift P.O.V**

 _Did he seriously just ask Saitama to join us?!_ Truth be told, there were few moments in her life that she would consider mortifying, but this was surely one of them. She grimaced and pulled away from Genos. Noriko walked to the kitchen, standing there with her back to the sitting room as her two roommates quietly argued back and forth. _Why would he think that Saitama would agree to that? He's not like that. Right? I mean…I'm just his pet cat. He's basically said that before. Why would anyone want to do_ _ **that**_ _with their pet cat?_

"Look, I'm just saying that you wouldn't really want to share her. You get mad every time Mumen Rider talks to her. Do you really think you'd be able to handle it if your friend slept with her?" Saitama was challenging him.

"You are not my friend; you are my mentor, Master Saitama. If it was you, I believe that I would not have a problem with it."

"Why, because I'm not a threat? Because there's no way she'd like someone that looks like me?" He sighed in frustration. "Sorry. I didn't mean for that to sound the way it did."

"I would not have a problem with it because I trust you and you are my master."

Her tail swished back and forth as she closed her eyes. _Do they really have to keep talking about this? It's just making it worse._ With a soft growl, she returned to the sitting room and grabbed her coat. A metal hand caught her wrist in a tight grip, making her scowl. "I'm just…going to get Koneko. I'll be back soon."

"Allow us to go with you. There is no way of knowing when another dog monster will appear," Genos stated firmly.

"I can handle it myself." She slipped her arm free and shouldered her swords, glancing from the cyborg to Saitama and back. "I'll be back soon. Please just stop talking about these things, okay?"

As Noriko sprinted over the snowy road, she frowned to herself. _Why would he even suggest something like that? Did he really think that Saitama would want that?_ Her anger began to fade as the cold air rushed past her, her footsteps quiet in the snow as the buildings passed her in a blur. What took its place was curiosity and the question of whether or not he had been genuinely trying to make their friend happy. If that was the case, it left more questions open in her mind and she was simply not ready to think about such a possibility. _He was joking_ , she decided. _Why would he be serious? Of course that wouldn't be something that Saitama wanted._

The old rancher was standing outside in a heavy coat with a piping hot kettle when Noriko arrived at the ranch. She looked at the catgirl and grimaced. "You look like you're thinking heavy thoughts."

"I-it's nothing. Is Koneko ready to go?" Noriko turned her gaze to the small house, expecting the younger catgirl to come bursting through the door at any moment.

"You might think you're being sneaky, but old Koto knows what's going on here. You're having _guy trouble_ , aren't you? Is it that creepy ninja? He kept stopping by to see Koneko a while back. Helped her work on her speed before the exam, but that fellow always made me a little uneasy, you know? Had some shifty eyes, that one. You want some tea?" Without waiting for an answer, she squatted down in the grass and poured two cups of tea from the kettle. "There you go. Have a sip at least. Warms you down to your soul, that tea. So where's that creepy ninja been this past month? He didn't even have the decency to show up to Koneko's exam to see how she did!"

"Er…Sonic went to prison," she awkwardly explained. "He sort of kidnapped me."

Koto raised both eyebrows and took a long sip of her tea. "You don't say. Thought he was a little obsessive, the way he kept talking about you. Kept telling Koneko he knew her mom and every time, she laughed and called him stupid. So you weren't sleeping with that weirdo, right? Never know what kind of diseases a guy like that might have. An attractive guy like that, probably been with tons of girls. Fucking _womanizers_."

Noriko's eyes widened. "Um…you don't think he'd really…?"

"When a guy gets in that kind of mood, they do it with just about anything with a hole."

The girl's face turned red at the crude description and began to wonder if it was really a good idea to leave her daughter with the old woman. _Maybe I should look into getting an apartment so Koneko won't hear stuff like that. It seems like something a kid her age shouldn't hear._ She was about to set her teacup down as Koneko stepped outside, beaming and waving at Noriko enthusiastically. "Well, we should probably be going…"

"You haven't even tasted the tea. It's my special blend; I grow the herbs and harvest them myself." Koto looked at her with blazing brown eyes. "You don't want to _offend_ me, right? Drink up."

Noriko was hesitant to drink the tea. A sniff revealed no particular aromas to alert her to whatever herbs were in it. She downed it in one gulp and wiped her mouth on the back of her hand. "Thank you very much for the tea; it was delicious."

Koto took the cup from her and shrugged. "I think it's _bitter_. Alright, you two have fun tonight at your Christmas party and don't worry about old Koto; I'm going to watch a few Christmas specials and turn in early. You best behave now, kid." She ruffled Koneko's pale purple hair, making the small catgirl wince.

"I always behave!" she protested. "I'm going to bring you back such a good present, you'll cry, Granny! You'll see!" Without another word, she sprinted off in the direction of the road back to town.

Noriko bowed slightly and smiled. "Thank you for taking such good care of her."

The old woman waved her hand dismissively. "Psh! Nothing to it; she's a good kid. You ought to think about raising her yourself. Not that she's not a great worker. She wants to live with you, you know. You and that Saitama are all she ever talks about! Just don't go making her any little brothers or sisters! Don't know if she could take that!"


	64. Chapter 64

"Why do you look worried? Did something happen earlier?"

Noriko jumped a little and looked at Saitama from the corner of her eye. "No…just…hn. I don't know, but I might need to look into getting my own apartment and moving Koneko there." She tried to focus once more on cooking, but found her friend still standing next to her.

He stared for a moment and then smiled. "She said something crude, didn't she?"

"The old woman did," she finally admitted. Sighing, she pulled her long violet hair up into a ponytail. "I just don't know how I feel about Koneko hearing her say stuff like that. I-it doesn't matter. How's Mumen Rider?"

They both looked toward the sitting room. The cyclist had barely reached the apartment before a snowstorm hit and had been found collapsed in the snow in front of the building. When Koneko brought him in, she had worn a look of triumph equal to a cat that had caught its prey. She was currently sitting with him, watching him shiver and occasionally reaching over to poke his cheek. "I think he's doing better than when he first got in," Saitama stated. "Wow. That smells really good. What is that?"

Her feline ears flattened when she felt his hand on her shoulder. "Just meat pieces cooked in a sauce that I made. Shouldn't you check on Mumen Rider?"

"He's fine. I'm sure he's going to be fine." He smiled again, leaning in closer to her side. "That apron looks better on you than on Genos."

"Where is he? I haven't seen him since Koneko brought Mumen Rider in." Noriko moved past him to step out of the kitchen, shifting her gaze over the sitting room. He was sitting at the computer, seemingly ignoring the rest of the apartment's occupants. The catgirl walked over to stand at his side for a moment, frowning. _He's been acting strange since he made that weird suggestion earlier. I still can't tell if he was joking or not. I thought he was, but after seeing him like this…it's like he might have genuinely thought that Saitama would…_

"Noriko, is there a reason for you to be looking over my shoulder?" He turned his head suddenly, making the girl jump a little in surprise. "Did you need something?"

Slightly irritated with his abruptness, her tail began to flick back and forth. "Do you want to help me in the kitchen?"

The blonde looked toward the kitchen, where Saitama was now helping himself to some of the food Noriko had been making. His black and gold eyes shifted back to Noriko and he seemed to almost frown. "Master Saitama is helping you."

She followed his line of sight and tilted her head. "That's…not helping. That's definitely _hindering_." Noriko met the bald hero's gaze as he lifted a spoonful of soup to his mouth and waved at her cheerfully. "Please help." Without another word, she returned to the kitchen and politely shooed her friend from the room. A small smile formed on her lips as she heard Genos behind her in the kitchen. "Thank you. Hn…you know I really do like having you help me." She smothered a yelp as a warm metal arm crossed her midsection and pulled her back against a hard chest. "G-Genos?"

"You do not know what I would do to you if we were alone right now."

Twisting in his hold, the catgirl turned to face him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her lower back pressed against the counter's edge as her lips met his. When she heard a knock at the door, she jolted away from him with a blush growing on her face. "L-later…okay?"

He smirked and lifted her chin with one finger. "Is that promise?"

"I'll get the door, I guess," Saitama announced from the doorway. "Can you two stop making out long enough to finish the food?"

"Big sister, I want to help you finish cooking!" Koneko announced as she ran to the kitchen. "Sensei said I should help you. So what are you-?" She grimaced at how Genos held Noriko's chin and slid between them. "So what are you making, big sister?"

"I'm just finishing up. Do you want to help Genos put out the plates and stuff?"

"No way! I came to help _you_! I don't want to help senpai!" She bared a fang at Genos, who simply stared down at her for a moment before looking at Noriko. "Don't ignore me!"

Noriko watched him wordlessly lift the child by the back of her sweater and carry both her and the dishes into the other room. It was almost comical to see Koneko finally give in and help him, grudgingly setting the table. The older catgirl saw Saitama's friend King walk into the sitting room and pause, seeming to stare at the other guests for a moment. As Saitama gave her a questioning look, she frowned. "Is he okay? He seems kind of…like he doesn't want to be here. Does he not like cats?"

"Are you kidding? He's just nervous because I didn't warn him that you and Koneko would be here. You know, she tried to eat him once." Saitama yawned and glanced toward the food. "Is it done yet?"

As everyone enjoyed the meal, they seemed to settle into a peaceful sort of mood. The cyclist hero finally stopped shivering and listened to Koneko talk about a cow herding incident on the ranch. King seemed to be half-listening, staring intensely at his food while he ate. Noriko found herself seated between Genos and Saitama, the three of them eating in silence. When the food was gone, Noriko was puzzled to find a bottle of alcohol being set out. _Is that really a good idea after what happened last time?_ Her eyes went first to Mumen Rider, who seemed to have not noticed the bottle, and then to Saitama, who gave her a dopey smile. "Is this really-?"

"Just try not to jump out any windows this time, okay?" he teased, patting her on the head. "King, do you want a little?" A small amount was poured for everyone except for Koneko. "Okay so who's ready to open presents?"

"Me first!" Koneko announced. "I want to give my presents first! I got good stuff for everyone! Even you, weird blonde guy." Everyone opened the strangely wrapped gifts that she handed out and discovered slabs of dried beef. She beamed when Saitama thanked her. "I did good, right? You like it, sensei?"

Noriko leaned over to look at the gift Genos had received and tilted her head. "Um…is that…? Why is this one caked in spices?"

"I tried to make them spiced, but Granny said I overdid it on the first one I tried to make so I gave that one to senpai. Don't you like it, senpai?"

Genos looked at her from across the table and nodded. "Yes. Thank you, Koneko-san."

Other gifts were exchanged, none overly remarkable. When Noriko opened a box from Genos, she raised an eyebrow and her tail curled at the end. _Catnip mice, catnip tea bags, new sword straps, a plush toy, and…a dead bird. I thought that Saitama was going to have a talk with him about this._ Nevertheless, she purred and rubbed her cheek against his shoulder. "Thank you, Genos. I really like this."

"I am glad. I worried that the toys might be too much." He rubbed his metal fingertips over the back of her ear, making her purr intensify.

"I got you something, too." Saitama held out his hand, producing a simple box of Pocky. "I got the strawberry kind because I wasn't sure what flavor you liked best."

"Hn. Thanks. Strawberry is actually my favorite." She accepted the box from him and tilted her head. _Kind of simple, but I do appreciate the thought. And this really is my favorite._ She gave gifts to Koneko and the other two, glad when they seemed to like them. Noriko was hesitant to give gifts to Saitama and Genos. _I didn't really know what to get them so I panicked. Maybe they won't hate them? They're at least things that they can use._

Genos opened his gift box and withdrew a t-shirt with the sleeves cut off and a new apron. "Thank you, Noriko. I will put the shirt on now."

"No, that's okay! Um…just wait until tomorrow." She handed Saitama his gift box and frowned. "Sorry if you don't like this."

He raised an eyebrow, but opened the box eagerly. Instantly, his mouth fell into a frown as he lifted the body pillow from the box. It was a plain sky blue material with white stripes; simple, but stuffed satisfyingly. Saitama took a brief moment to examine it before looking at Noriko curiously. "A _body pillow_?"

Reading his disappointment, her tail began to droop and her ears went back. "Hn. You don't like it, do you? I can give you the receipt, if you want, so you can exchange it for something better. I just…wasn't sure what you would want."

"Why would you get me a _body pillow_ though? It's just weird. You don't get a guy a gift like this." Frowning at the pillow again, he gave it a tentative squeeze. When he lifted his gaze back to Noriko, his expression quickly turned serious. "You know what I really want?"

She watched him, waiting to see if he would give an answer without her questioning him. A quick look across the table showed that the Koneko was once again telling Mumen Rider about the cows on the ranch while he politely nodded and listened, King seeming half-interested as he sipped his drink. "Ah…okay. What did you really want for Christmas?" she finally inquired. "Was there a particular video game or manga?"

He leaned over, an arm going around her to pull her close so that their faces were inches apart. "I want _you_ for Christmas," he stated with a small smirk. Saitama saw her face turning bright red and laughed. "Genos, look how much I made her blush."

The blonde gripped her arm firmly and drew her to him, his mouth turning down at the corners. "Master Saitama, that was a terrible joke to play on Noriko."

"You think I was joking?" His serious expression gave way to his usual deadpan one as he shifted his eyes to the catgirl. Seeing her lean against the cyborg's side made him feel strangely empty. Unsatisfied. He wondered how she might have reacted if it had been Genos that had said the words instead of him. Saitama suspected that she would have blushed and nuzzled her face against his neck. It seemed to be a more common reaction of hers lately and he had held a small hope that she would react that way to his words.

Noriko bit her lip and finally sighed. "It's not funny, Saitama."

"I know it's not funny. I really wasn't joking."

Her feline ears twitched. "So…you meant you want to go on another friend date?"

"Huh? I mean, that was fun. But what I meant was-"

"Sensei, you have to give big sister her _other_ gift! You know the one! I helped you pick it out and everything and now you're just going to _forget_ about it?!" Koneko demanded from across the table. She pouted, baring a fang at Genos when he gave her a puzzled look. "Sensei got her a _way_ better present than just Pocky and it's _way_ better than what _you_ got her, senpai!"

"Koneko, it was going to be a surprise." He sighed and withdrew a small box from the pocket of his sweatshirt. "Okay, so I didn't plan to get you more than that box of Pocky, but Koneko saw this and said you'd like it. Here." He tossed it to her, now looking a little guilty.

She opened the box and tilted her head curiously. Noriko could feel Genos looking at the gift over her shoulder and shivered when he reached down to remove it. The bell on the necklace jingled softly, dangling just beneath a silky white bow. "Hn. A collar?"

"It's supposed to be a choker. The lady in the store said that they're popular with girls. And Koneko said it was cute," Saitama said, trying to defend himself.

Genos stared at the buckle on it and then looked to his mentor. "This is a collar. You got my girlfriend a collar for Christmas." For an instant, everyone on that side of the table seemed to tense as they anticipated an argument. Instead, a slow smirk formed on his face. "Thank you, Master Saitama."

Noriko recognized the tone of his voice and the flicker of emotion that crossed his face. _It's almost like when I talk to Mumen Rider. Like he's…jealous? Why would he be jealous though?_ She leaned forward a little and shifted her hair to let him secure the necklace around her neck. When she felt the cold metal of the bell against her throat, she reached up to toy with it nervously. "Thanks, Saitama. It's cute."

"You're cute." He reached over to nonchalantly ruffle her hair, but paused when he got close. "Actually, that would look cute with your café outfit. Don't you still have that somewhere?" he teased her.

She shook her head, ashamed that she was actually starting to blush a little. Unfortunately, the motion made the bell jingle cutely and drew the attention of the other two guests across the table. Noriko slouched against her boyfriend's side, a small yawn escaping her. Lifting her cup, she took a sip of the sake. _Bitter. But it's making me feel warm…_

"Are you tired, big sister? You look sleepy now. Did Genos-senpai do something to your drink?! If you did something to my big sister's drink, I'll tear you apart into little pieces!" Koneko roared, slamming her small hands onto the table's surface.

"I'm just tired." Noriko frowned and took another sip of her drink. Her mind began to shift from thought to thought before finally settling on the bell hanging around her neck. The girl's fingertips traced over the cold surface and she let her eyes slide closed. She listened to Koneko talk to Saitama, felt warmth radiate from Genos as he carefully maneuvered her into his lap and wrapped his arms protectively around her. Metal fingers briefly touched hers as he moved a hand to the necklace.

"Seeing you wear this collar makes me wish that we were alone," he whispered into her feline ear. "I think that when everyone has gone, you should try wearing this with your café uniform." She shivered pleasantly at the heat enveloping her, her fingers lacing with his as he gripped the bell on her necklace. "Master Saitama chose wisely when he selected this for you."

"Yeah, it looks pretty cute," the man commented, leaning over. "Genos, you're really bad at whispering. Nya-chan, you look tired. Want to borrow my futon?"

"Noriko is fine where she is. I am sure that she would not want to sleep while we still have company."

She felt the blonde's arms tighten around her. The rest of the evening was a blur. Noriko had a few more cups of sake and listened to various conversations. When King and Mumen Rider left, she finally gave in to her fatigue and curled up on the floor. Koneko was quick to join her, cuddling against her front for warmth. _I don't get it. Why does it feel like things are different? It can't just be about this morning. What Genos said to Saitama. There has to be more to it. Things just feel…off. But I can't really be sure why or how._

Seeing the two catgirls curled up on the floor, Genos felt compelled to watch over them. He knew that Noriko was still faintly awake and Koneko had dozed off almost immediately. Brushing a stray lock of violet hair away from her eyes, he could see a light blush decorating her cheeks. "Are you cold, Noriko?" She nodded once and was glad when he moved to lie behind her on his side, wrapping his arms around her to keep her warm.


	65. Chapter 65

It was two days after Christmas. The air was cold, but not unbearable. Sitting in the park, he knew that he must look at least a little haggard. The night before had brought certain vivid dreams that included the girl beside him and he had woken in a cold sweat. He had felt something peculiar when he sat up in his bed and looked over to see Noriko and Genos still sleeping. A certain feeling of loss as well as a hint of frustration. He had spent a long amount of time in the bathroom, trying to forget the dream and ultimately finding satisfaction on his own before emerging to find Noriko in the kitchen.

That was sort of how they came to be in the park so early in the day, sitting together on a bench as snow fell around them. A glance over at her showed that she was looking a little tired as well. "Rough night?" he asked, trying not to imagine what she and Genos might have been doing.

"Hn. Just…weird dreams," she replied, rubbing the back of her neck. She yawned, her fangs glinting in the sunlight for a moment. "Are you hungry? Do you want me to run to the convenience store?"

"Don't worry about it. We can grab something on the way home. I'm sure Genos will be back by then." Saitama had asked her to go on an impromptu friend date, partially out of curiosity and partially out of boredom. Soon after meeting up with her in the kitchen, the cyborg had woken and was called away by the Hero Association. He had hoped that the cold air would distract him from thinking about his dream, but just sitting next to her seemed to spark the memory. _It felt so real_ , he thought with a sigh. _I shouldn't be having dreams like that. She's my friend's girlfriend. She's my friend, too. It kind of feels like I'm betraying him just by dreaming about doing that with her._

She ran her fingers through her dark violet hair and tilted her head back. The action drew his eyes to her neck as the bell on her choker jingled. Snowflakes peppered her pale face, melting and sliding down her cheeks. "He said he would start bringing me with him if he thought it was something I could handle."

Saitama shrugged. "Maybe he just doesn't want to risk it. I mean, if I had to choose between taking you somewhere dangerous or leaving you at home, I'd want you to stay home. Would you really want to be fighting when it's this cold?" He saw her reach into her jacket pocket and draw forth the box of Pocky that he had given her for Christmas. "Want to play a game?"

"Hn. I don't know. What kind of game?" She opened the box and sniffed at the contents, a small smile growing on her lips.

The sight of her smile made him feel a little better. "Can I have one?" Accepting it from her cold, pale fingers, he held it up. "It's pretty easy. One person puts one end in their mouth and the other person does that with the other end. Then you take little bites until one person gives up. It's like playing chicken."

The catgirl's ears perked forward and she tilted her head. "I've never played that before."

"It's like a test of courage. Whoever gives up first loses. So do you want to play?" He raised an eyebrow, wondering if she would actually accept the challenge. _She'll give up first, but it's worth it just to see her blush. If I can just get her to blush for me like she does for Genos…_

"Hn. Alright, fine. I accept your challenge." Noriko tried to look bold, but there was a flicker of anxiety in her bright gaze.

"Okay, so I'll start with the plain end." He had no issues when he put it in his mouth, but the second that she had her end, he felt his heart beating faster. _Damn. Her face is a lot closer than I thought it would be. She's already starting to blush, too._ Carefully, he took the first bite forward. She moved after he did and it went on for a while before they both stopped. Saitama had noticed her taking tiny bites, like she was hesitant. Now that her face was so close to his, he found it hard not to pull her closer. He remembered his dream as he finally took another bite. He recalled the way her body had felt in that dream; soft and warm. It had felt so perfect against him and as he remembered the way it felt to push into her, he closed his eyes. The hero froze, a frown slowly taking form on his face just before she took the last bite that brought them together.

Their lips met lightly and his fingers twitched as he fought the urge to draw her closer. When they broke contact, Noriko turned away and fidgeted with the hem of her sleeve. Saitama looked away as well, rubbing the back of his neck. _Her mouth is really soft. Maybe we shouldn't have done that._ Turning back to her, he saw that her face was bright pink and it left him immensely satisfied. "I don't know who wins that round. Someone usually quits before it gets that far. Maybe we're both winners?"

She slouched a little, but snickered quietly. "Hn. Don't know about that."

"What? What's funny?" he asked, glad to see her smiling.

"Well, neither of us chickened out. But we sort of…I don't know what that was just now. So when you've played that game before, did you usually win, Saitama?"

"I'm never played it before." He grabbed another stick of Pocky and took small bites, his eyes shifting to look at the snowy playground. _Did she really think I've done that before? I saw it in an anime that I watched with her. I don't know how she didn't notice. I'm kind of glad though. Who knows if she would've done it if she knew?_ A thought dawned on him as he yet again recalled his dream. Genos was very strong, like himself. Not as strong, but still quite strong. _He said before that he never has to hold back when they do stuff. I don't know if I'd be able to do those things with a normal girl. Sometimes it's kind of hard to control my strength. Would she be okay if I…?_

 **Shift P.O.V**

Noriko ate another stick and half-smiled. Though it was cold outside, she enjoyed spending time outdoors. Away from the apartment. Away from where she had dreamed. Her smile began to fade as she thought about it and a mournful sigh escaped her. _I can't believe I had…that sort of dream. And about Sonic…and Genos. It's all his fault for saying that thing to Saitama the other day! Even if he was joking. It's his fault I had such a weird dream._

"Hey, are you okay? You look kind of out of it. Are you cold?" Saitama casually wrapped an arm around her shoulders, his body heat quickly warming her. "You look cold, but your face is red. Wait." His smile grew, amusement clear in his eyes. "Nya-chan, were you having dirty thoughts or something? I'm flattered, but I'm pretty sure you're not my type!" he said, laughing.

"It's not like that," she protested. "I wasn't thinking anything like that."

"Are you sure? Because your face is getting redder."

She turned her head to argue again, but paused. Her lips turned down at the corners when she saw that his expression had shifted from deadpan to serious. The girl tilted her head and her tail curled at the end in curiosity. "Saitama? Is something wrong?"

"Kind of. There's something I-"

"Prepare to face the fearsome wrath of Piggy Princess!" a high pitched voice screamed from across the park. "I'm going to tear you apart into little pieces right in front of your boyfriend, Samurai Catgirl!"

Noriko jumped to her feet and instantly spotted the spectacle. It was almost too bizarre to handle. There were four humanoid boars standing on the other side of the park, apparently protecting the smaller figure that stood before them. When her eyes met those of the small figure, she felt her blood run cold. _No! No way! This can't be happening!_

"What's wrong? Are you jealous of my absolute perfection? Let's see Genos-kun turn me down when I look this amazing!" The figure started toward her, a smirk on her perfect ruby painted lips. Her long hair had been pulled up into curling ponytails with sharp blades at the tips, perfect eye makeup applied to her dazzling blue eyes. She was wearing what appeared to be a snug-fitting school uniform and it soon became apparent why it was tight. Her limbs and torso looked thicker than when they had last met. Bulkier somehow. In addition to this, her nose was turned up at the end to make it look somewhat squished and flat. Floppy pink triangle-shaped ears sat before her ponytails, when she moved a curling pink tail became visible behind her, and a pair of sharp tusks protruded from both sides of her mouth.

"Did she call herself 'Piggy Princess'? Wait a minute. I know her." Saitama stood beside Noriko, looking the approaching girl up and down. A shining katana was in her right hand and he suspected that it was like Noriko's old swords; able to be electrically charged. "She kept bothering Genos for a while when you went missing."

"They _broke up_! I deserved my chance! But he took you back, didn't he?" Yaya tilted her head and grinned before licking her lips. " _Animal ear fetish_ , right? Does _this_ guy have that, too?"

Saitama pushed his hands into his pockets and raised an eyebrow. "Huh? I don't think so. I mean, I think Nya-chan's cute, but I don't think that has anything to do with her ears."

 _Can we please focus on the fact that there are monsters and a mutated pig girl here?! And where did all of these people come from?_ Noriko looked around at the various mothers and children that were attempting to flee the park. When she saw a boar monster go after a fallen child, she rushed over and struck the blunt end of a sword handle against his snout. "Saitama, we have to get these things out of here before they kill someone!"

"Alright. You want to take out the boars before we stop her? That has to be Kenta's work, right?" The hero saw her nod and smiled. "Okay. But when we're done here, there's something I need to tell you."

"Fine, just please help me finish this quickly." She dodged a swipe of the boar's hooves and tusks, twisting to protect the child. Noriko used her swords to block more attacks, scowling at the interruption. _Well maybe this is what I needed to forget that dream! This should be good, right? But if that girl has been genetically modified the way I was, that means that Kenta is finding people with DNA compatible with an animal's. So how many more has he made?_

When she saw an opening, Noriko wrapped an arm around the child and sprinted across the park to safely deposit them on the sidewalk. "Run, okay?! Run home, run to a police station! Just get somewhere safe!" she ordered. The catgirl turned and raised both swords in time to block a downward sweep of a katana. She gritted her teeth and pushed all of her weight into her blades, forcing the other girl to skid backwards in the snow.

Yaya's red lips stretched into a terrifying grin, a snort escaping her. "What's wrong? You look so _freaked out_ right now! Like you've seen a ghost! What's wrong? Go on and tell me! Just a little _girl talk_! What's wrong, _Hinyako_?!" She rushed forward, swiping wildly with her sword as Noriko hurried to block her.

 _My nickname. What is Kenta thinking? What's he planning? Did he make her specifically to kill me and take a DNA sample to him?_ The violet-haired girl dodged a thrust of the blade that otherwise could have pierced her chest and moved past her, cleanly slicing open the blue-eyed girl's left calf. Dark blood spilled out, but what puzzled Noriko was the strangely shiny thing deeply embedded in the muscle that the gash exposed. _What is that? It looks like…a metal limb? But inside of her muscle? What exactly did Kenta do to this girl?_

One of her ponytails slapped Noriko across the face, the minute blade at the end cutting open her right cheek. Yaya giggled and turned to her with a sadistic grin. "I know everything about you now~" she started, taking a step toward the catgirl. " _Everything_! Kenta told me all of your old _hopes_ , your old _fears_ , and all about your two boyfriends. How is it fair that you have Genos-kun _and_ that assassin? Some girls just get all the luck, don't they? And _you_. You're so _ungrateful_. So _pathetic_. Such a _disappointment_ ; I can see why he wants to put you down for good. You fucking _cow_. Look at me though. I'm cute. I'm perfect. My chest isn't like yours; it won't slow me down or mess up my balance. I'm _perfection_. His sweet, pink, pride and joy~"

Though the words were meant to be scathing, Noriko instead found herself confused by them. _Something isn't right._ She dodged another attack and leaned in close to the girl's face. The mirth on her lips did not reach her eyes. In fact, the catgirl saw unshed tears shining there. "It's…Yaya, isn't it? What did he do to you?"

"He made me _perfection_! I already told you! I'm _faster_ than you! _Stronger_ than you! I'll cut you up into little, tiny pieces and deliver your remains to him in a candy box! With this body, Genos-kun won't be able to _resist_ me!" Yaya shifted behind Noriko quickly and pressed the edge of her blade against the catgirl's neck. "You! Baldy! Go get Genos-kun! I want him to see the look on her face when she dies under my sword! Huhuhuh!"

"Uh…what? I'm not leaving," Saitama stated bluntly. "Nya-chan isn't going to die, either. You said that Kenta made you stronger and faster than her? That's great and all, but I'm pretty sure he had the old Nya-chan in mind. She's been training like crazy since then. Not to mention that she has natural durability."

As he was talking, Noriko drove the blunt end of her sword handle into Yaya's stomach. She was released and quickly twisted away from the other girl. The katana was soon swiping at her again, but she was able to block each attack with her swords. When she leapt forward to try to at least incapacitate Yaya, the pig girl lunged in to head-butt her in the chest. Noriko tumbled backwards over the snow, grimacing at the pain. The attack had a surprising amount of force behind it. She stood for a moment, taking in deep breaths as she tried to keep calm. Her eyes lifted from the ground and widened upon seeing Yaya step toward her.

Yaya's eyeliner and mascara were running down her cheeks like dark tears, her red lips contorting as her upturned nose twitched. Mucus made the pink surface of her nose shiny, drool gleaming on her lips as she took another step forward. Her blue eyes were full of such a deep, painful melancholy that it made her opponent freeze in place. "…I'm not myself anymore…" The words came out in barely a whisper, but Noriko's feline ears picked them up. "…it hurts…being alive hurts…moving hurts…he said things would be better…"

"Y-Yaya?" Noriko looked her up and down, horror making her take a step back. The other girl's movements were turning sluggish, as if every little action took all of her strength. _No…it's not that she's losing her strength. It's like she's fighting it. What the hell did Kenta do to her?!_ The blue-eyed girl shook her head violently and lunged forward with her blade ready to slice Noriko in half down the middle. She raised both swords to block and planted her boot on Yaya's chest to give her a hard shove backwards. "Saitama, something's wrong with her!"

Her eye makeup was still running down her cheeks as her lips stretched once more into a grin. "What's _wrong_ is your attitude, _livestock_! I'm going to slice you up real good and make my master proud of me!"


	66. Chapter 66

_This is bad! This is really, really bad!_ Noriko's arms and chest were bleeding with multiple small cuts that had been inflicted by the blades on Yaya's hair. There were two punctures on the right side of her chest from the other girl's tusks, made when Yaya charged to try to gore her. The catgirl fought to the best of her ability, but the more she watched the girl, the more she realized how horrible of a situation she was in. _Her eyes are wrong. She's trying to kill me and she keeps smiling, but it's not reaching her eyes. She's in pain. I can see it. Whatever Kenta did to her…_ She dodged a swipe of the katana and leapt back, trying to catch her breath.

The hero was doing everything in her power to not hurt Yaya, but it was doing her no good. The pig girl continued to attack, no longer in control of her own body. Noriko had contemplated cutting her legs so she would at least slow down, but she was reluctant to hurt her. A glance over showed that Saitama had already dealt with the boar monsters and was now watching from the sidewalk. A crowd had assembled now that they knew Noriko was the pig girl's target, staring at the fight with no fear for their own lives.

"Do you need help?" Saitama finally asked. He could see it as well; there was something wrong with Yaya. She was trying to fight her body's movements, sweat breaking out all over her and tears flowing freely down her cheeks. He wanted to at least get her to stop hurting Noriko. It took a decent amount of will power to not rush in and end it himself.

"I-I don't know," Noriko replied, not taking her green eyes off of Yaya's blue ones. They were pleading for help, but the catgirl had no idea what she could do to save the other girl. _Is there any way to save her? Those metal parts implanted in her leg…they have to run throughout her body. Kenta must be controlling her remotely from somewhere. Around here? If I can find him and kill him, will she be alright? Can a doctor remove the metal from her?_ She rushed forward, locking her two blades with Yaya's katana as the girl swung wildly. "Hn. He didn't train you at all, did he? You're swinging that thing around like a kid with a toy!" she taunted, hoping to buy some time.

"Huhuhuh! I don't need training if I have _passion_! And the passion I have for my master is more than enough to help me _rip you to shreds_ , Hinyako!" Yaya lifted a leg and dug her heel into the wound on Noriko's side before giving her a swift kick backwards. Leaping onto the catgirl, she knocked her onto her back and sat straddling the girl's waist. Yaya leaned down to put her face near Noriko's, smiling sadistically. "…you were his favorite toy…for so many years…you know the pain…you know the humiliation…"

She instantly recognized it as the true Yaya and blinked up at her in surprise. "What…? H-how long were you…with him? What did he do to you? Yaya, how can I help you?!"

"…one month…and some days…I can't imagine taking that for years…" Tears rolled down her cheeks and splashed onto Noriko's jacket. "…I can't…I just wanted Genos-kun to notice me…I went with him because he said…he said he'd make everything better and I'd be beautiful…look at what he's done to me…and I'm unfixable…Samurai Catgirl…"

"No! No, you can't just give up like that! I'll find a way! I won't let you give up, Yaya! You still have time! How do I stop him? Is he around here somewhere? If I kill him-!" Noriko turned her head swiftly to avoid the girl's tusks ramming into her face. Shifting her weight as quickly as she could, the catgirl turned so she was on top of the pig girl.

Yaya squealed and thrashed under her, swinging her head and slicing Noriko's chest shallowly with her ponytail blades. "I could kill you right now, even under you! I could just fucking kill you right in front of all those people and they wouldn't do a thing to stop me! No one cares about a _cow_ like you, Hinyako!"

Jumping off of her, Noriko glanced over at the crowd of people. _Damn it! What if Kenta sends her after them?! I can't let that happen! We need to get somewhere secluded!_ She turned to run across the park and heard Yaya sprinting after her. Noriko's right arm was caught and she was tossed against a bench like a ragdoll. "Ngh…damn it! There has to be some way to stop this! I can't just let her give up, but if I don't stop her somehow then it could put everyone else in danger!" Watching the pig girl approach, giggling maniacally, Noriko shivered. _She was with Kenta for over a month. I don't want to imagine all of the horrible things he probably did to her. What he might have made her do._

The blue-eyed girl tilted her head and stopped a few feet in front of the catgirl. "There's…something in me…that can't be removed…or I'll die. But right now…I wouldn't care if I died…" Tears dripped to the snow beneath her feet as she stared down at Noriko. "Huhuhuh! You think you can really kill her? You think you have what it takes to kill a cute, innocent little bitch like her? Didn't she throw a bottle at your head? Didn't she try to steal your boyfriend? Oh, there's an idea! Call him! I want him to be here!"

She pushed herself to stand, but her body was starting to grow tired. The fight had so far lasted almost an hour. They had gone back and forth with her defending and Yaya attacking. _I want to save her! It isn't fair that she should die because of Kenta's stupid plan! Whatever it is._ Lifting her swords, Noriko took a step forward. "So you're dropping the façade, you creep?"

"Call for Genos." Yaya lifted her katana, the blade's edge lightly grazing her own throat. "If you don't, I could always _torture_ her. Huhuhuh! Oh, sorry. No, _she'll_ be torturing _herself_. It's just a shame to lose such a beautiful toy that way. I think that seeing her play was better than seeing you. Such pretty tears."

"Stop talking! I'm not calling Genos and I'm not going to let you keep hurting Yaya! Where are you?!" she snarled, baring her fangs.

The girl smiled widely and licked her lips. "You want to see me, Hinyako? It's a little late for _apologies_ and I've found a cuter toy. You should see her when she squirms. But we're getting off topic. Call for him or I'll run you through with this." Yaya let the sword move to her side and pressed a button on the end of the handle. Electricity ran along its length, sparks jumping into the snow. "You don't want that. I don't know if her mind could even take that. She has a pretty weak will."

A cold wind blew through her long violet hair as she looked into Yaya's eyes. "Why does Kenta want Genos, Yaya? I know you can hear me in there. I want to talk to you." She blinked and was suddenly several feet away with an arm wrapped around her, the pig girl staring at her in a mixture of shock and relief. The arm holding the katana had thrust forward with the intent to impale Noriko through the chest.

Saitama looked from Noriko to Yaya and frowned. "I didn't want to interfere, but she just tried to kill you. So what's wrong with her? Is it like mind control?"

"Hn. I don't know for sure, but she said there's something in her that's letting him control her and if it's taken out, she'll die. He might have…implanted a device in her brain."

"So the only way to stop him would be to cut off her head? You're not doing that."

"No. I couldn't…" The pain in her chest and arms was making her eyes tear up. "I don't know what to do. I don't want to kill her, Saitama."

"Yeah. I get that. I know you don't want to hurt her, but you're going to have to. She doesn't look like she's getting tired. I don't want you to get hurt any more, Nya-chan. Just hurt her enough that she can't move. That would at least buy you some time to find a way to help her." He glanced back toward Yaya. Her body was striding toward them, but her limbs moved sluggishly as she tried to fight her own body from moving.

"Okay. Um…whatever you do, please don't call Genos."

"Are you sure? Because he could probably help us figure out how to stop Kenta from controlling her. It's a robotic thing, right?"

"He wants Genos to be here for a reason. I think…he wants to harvest his parts for his own body. I know that Genos can protect himself from Kenta, but I just don't want to risk it." Noriko moved to rush Yaya, but was stopped by a hand gripping her upper arm tightly. "Saitama? Is there something else?" she asked, turning to look at him.

Seeing her like this hurt. Her cheek had been sliced open, her chest was covered in cuts, and she looked exhausted. Worse. She looked terrified. He wanted to stop her from continuing the fight, but he knew that it would be futile to try. Noriko had a strong sense of justice and even stronger was her sense of duty when it came to problems caused by Kenta. Saitama knew that it was why she went after every dog monster. Why she was so determined to stop Kenta from further hurting this girl that had caused her so much trouble. "Be careful, okay? If you get hurt too much, I'm going to help you whether you like it or not."

She nodded once and ran to meet Yaya halfway. Their blades locked and Noriko moved quickly to try to incapacitate her. The two fought rapidly in a flash of metal as Yaya's body avoided each slash. _Damn it! That perverted creep has to be watching us from somewhere!_ Leaping forward, she could feel her face turning pink at her next move. Her chest rammed into Yaya's and knocked her backwards. One sword moved behind her and slashed deeply into the backs of her legs. Sparks flew out, singing Yaya's flesh as she fell to her knees in the snow.

"Huhuhuh! You really think _this_ will stop me?! I can still stab you! I can still hurt you in so many ways, you _abomination_! So many ways before I even _begin_ to kill you!" Yaya gasped and bent forward, her fingertips digging into the snow. She gritted her teeth and looked up at Noriko with pleading blue eyes. "You…have to make it stop…please…"

"Yaya, where is he?! Tell me where he is and I'll be able to help you!"

"No…" She shook her head, fresh trails of tears running through her makeup. "No…you don't understand…you won't…I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Never should have done it. I…was stupid to think I even had a chance, you know. And now…look at me. I'm a _monster_. I can feel it. The pig DNA or whatever he put in me. It's doing things to my body. I don't know how much longer I'll still be able to talk because the bones are moving." A sharp sound left her, a mix between a squeal and a sob. "I've never felt so much pain before, Samurai Catgirl! I just want it to end! I'm not…like you. I'm not strong like you are. I can't do this!"

"Yes, you can! I'll find a way to stop it from taking over you, okay?! I'll fix this! There _has_ to be a way to fix this, so just hold on!" She glanced around and saw that a news team had arrived. When Yaya followed her gaze, she began to sob uncontrollably. "Wh-what is it?"

"My family! I can't be seen this way! I can't live this way! Please! Samurai Catgirl, you have to do something!"

"I'm not…I'm not going to do what you're asking! I can help-!"

"You _can't_ help me! He told me…before I left the lab…he told me that there's no going back! The thing that he put in me is _explosive_! If my body isn't able to bring you back to him -!"

"…we'll…all die…?" Noriko saw her nod and she began to tremble. _I don't want to do this though! I can't do this!_ Tears formed in her eyes as she stared down at Yaya. "…it really hurts that bad…?" It was a stupid question. She could see it in her eyes that the pain was excruciating. The smell of blood and oil was heavy in the air around her.

"I know it's selfish. I'm so sorry, Samurai Catgirl. It's my last request. The last thing I'll ever ask of _anyone_. Please. My family…can't see me like this. I just…want to die. I want to be unrecognizable. It's all I'll ask of you. I can't live like this." Even as she spoke, Yaya's jaw crunched audibly as it started to shift into a snout. Her body shook, blood dripped from the corner of her mouth, and a mournful squeal left her.

 _She's losing her humanity. This is my fault! If I had just gone with him-! But if I did that, who knows what he would do with my DNA! What is he planning?! What is he thinking? What was he thinking when he dragged this innocent person into this?_ Her feline ears drew back, her tail swished to one side, and Noriko let her tears fall. "Yaya. I'm sorry that he hurt you. I wish I could go back and stop it from happening. I wish that I could fix this…but I don't know how. I don't know if it's even possible and…I don't want you to suffer. So I'll honor your last request. And I'll make this as painless as possible."

Before anyone could stop her, Noriko droved both swords through Yaya's chest. The girl's body convulsed as she stared up at the catgirl, their eyes locked as the life drained from the pig girl. When she went still and her eyes went blank, Noriko yanked her blades free. The corpse fell onto its side in the snow and she approached the head. A sob tore through her as she stabbed through the skull, driving the steel deep into Yaya's brain and rendering her face a mangled mess. Trembling, she pulled free again and turned away from the body. The news team filmed every second of it, wearing looks of sheer horror.

 **Shift P.O.V**

Saitama saw the people move to rush Noriko and scooped her up, quickly leaving the onlookers behind. He only let her go when they were safely back at the apartment. She walked to the bathroom without a word and collapsed to her knees on the floor, covering her face with her hands. He had never seen her so miserable. Without giving it a second thought, he sat on the floor beside her and pulled her into his lap. She shook violently, crying and eventually choking from the force of her sobs. Saitama frowned down at her, rubbing behind her feline ears to try to calm her. When that failed, he simply held her against him and let her cry.

"You probably did what was best. I mean, she was in a lot of pain. You did that out of mercy. And honestly, I don't know if she could have been saved. From where I was standing, those metal things looked like they were pretty deep in her muscles."

"Y-you're…really bad at cheering people up, Saitama." She looked up at him through her long violet hair, her green eyes shining brightly with tears. Noriko moved to wipe at her eyes, but froze when he did it for her. "Th-thank you."

When their eyes met, he felt his heart skip a beat. Looking away, he frowned slightly. "Yeah. Anyway, maybe you should take a bath or something to help you calm down. I'm going to go wait for Genos in the other room." He managed to stand, but when he saw her still shaking it made him reluctant to leave her alone. "Okay, I know something that would help take your mind off of what happened."

"Wh-what is it?" The catgirl looked skeptical to say the least. Anyone would be doubtful in her situation. After all, she had just committed murder. She had murdered an innocent girl just a few years younger than her. Anyone would doubt that something could distract them from dwelling on that fact.

Saitama glanced toward the bathroom doorway. It was empty and there was no sign of Genos in the apartment. Leaning down, he pressed his lips to hers. This time it was different. There was a warmth that seemed to radiate from the kiss. He pulled away and smiled his usual dopey smile. "Alright. See you after your bath."


	67. Chapter 67

"I know what you're thinking, but she can take care of herself. I mean, it's Nya-chan we're talking about. And it's not like it's going to be for that long. They said it would just be until the trial." Saitama sat watching Genos tear through the mail, able to plainly see that his friend was still upset.

It had been less than a day after the death of Yaya when Noriko was hauled off to prison by representatives from the Hero Association. The blue-eyed girl's family had seen the media footage of her death. It was unfortunate that the news team had showed up when they did; it took the fight completely out of context and seemed to show Noriko murdering a defenseless girl in cold blood. A defenseless, ordinary girl. The camera angle failed to show Yaya's weapon or her deformed appearance. They had been assured by the Hero Association that Noriko would only be held until her trial, where they would examine every piece of evidence and listen to the testimonials of the multiple witnesses that had been there.

"I should not have left her alone," Genos stated, pausing in his task.

"She wasn't alone. I was with her." He scratched the back of his head and frowned. "You know she went to a women's prison, right? So she's probably safer. At least they didn't take her to one of those places where bad guys go."

"I should have been there to stop her. It does not matter where they took her or how long she will be there. If I had not left her alone, she would not have gotten into that situation. They took her away. We are unable to see her until after her trial."

"But she's basically innocent. She killed Yaya in self-defense. Well, also to save everyone. I guess there was a bomb in her brain or something. And if you had been there, it would've been worse. Kenta was asking for her to call you. Nothing good could come of that. She said he was probably planning to harvest your parts for his own body." Saitama saw Genos moving to stand and shook his head. "If you try to break her out of jail, it's just going to make it worse for her. And if they put you in prison, then what? You definitely won't see her. I'm sure she's safe, okay? Just try not to think about it. Think about what it'll be like when she's home."

 **Shift P.O.V**

It had been three days since she was taken in. The first was spent in a women's prison, where the other inmates feared her upon seeing the footage of Yaya's death. It was on the second day that Noriko learned of Yaya's family. The girl's father was a powerful company president and seemed to have connections everywhere. Thus why she had suddenly been moved to a more dangerous prison the second day and locked in a cell with a man. A man that was now dead, having tried to do force himself on her.

This was her third day of incarceration and Noriko knew that things would just continue on a downward slope. Her mouth was caked in the dried blood of the man whose throat she had torn out, her wounds from the battle with Yaya left untreated. She was being moved to what the guards assured her was the worst possible section of the prison. To make matters even worse, her arms were shackled behind her back and a gag had been secured in her mouth to keep her from attacking anyone. _More like to keep me from defending myself. I know that they're hoping that I'll die in this next place_ , she thought with disdain.

One guard moved toward the door while the other leaned down to her nicked feline ear. "Yaya was my cousin, you know. She wouldn't hurt a fly. You're going to pay for what you did to her. They're going to tear you apart in there." He gripped the front of her shirt, glaring down into her green eyes with unbridled hatred. It was met with a blank stare. "Did you hear me? They're going to do _unspeakable_ things to you in there and that still won't be enough! I hope you suffer even in the afterlife!" He tore the front of her shirt enough to display her cleavage and smirked down at her. "I just wish I could see you get what you deserve. Throw her in."

The door was opened just enough for the second guard to shove her through and then it was locked behind her. Noriko's eyes widened instantly and she began to tremble. Backing against the door, she desperately hoped that they were joking. That it was just a horrible, cruel joke that they were playing on her and at any moment they might let her out. _This can't be happening! This can't be happening, right?! They wouldn't really leave me in here…would they?_

On this side of the door was a large, open space where countless male prisoners were idling. When the door had opened, all eyes turned to it and now the men were approaching her. "Whoa. What's this? A _gift_ or something?" one man asked, looking her up and down.

"Why would they give us something like _this_? Not that I'm complaining! Look at that chest! She's got to be a C-cup at least!"

"What's wrong with her hair? Whoa! That girl's got cat ears and a tail!"

"No way! This is that hero that _he's_ so obsessed with?! She looks so pathetic!"

 _Open the door! You can't leave me here like this!_ She glanced over her shoulder, but the door had not moved an inch. Muffled pleas left her, the girl's teeth sinking into the gag when she tried to speak. The men coming toward her were all much taller than her, much more muscular, and looked absolutely malevolent. _I'm going to die in here! I'm really going to die in here, aren't I?! How can this be happening?_

"Maybe they brought her as a New Year's present or something?"

"Who cares why she's here! They obviously want us to have some fun with her! Look how tight that prison uniform is on her!"

"Hehehe! Hey, kitty, you want some cream?"

"You think she yowls like a cat when you fuck her?"

"There's only one way to find out, isn't there? Who wants to go first? We'll just see how long it takes before she breaks."

"Just keep her quiet. We don't want _them_ to hear. They'll spoil our fun before we even get to do anything to her."

She clenched her eyes shut and pressed her back tightly against the cold metal door. _I'm going to get…I'm…they're going to…I don't want to die this way! I don't want to die at all, but definitely not like this! I know that I killed an innocent girl, but it was a mercy killing! She wouldn't have wanted to live that way! I don't deserve to die this way!_ A hand gripped her upper arm hard and tugged her forward as another hand groped her left breast. A sharp cry of pain erupted from her attacker and they quickly recoiled. Her eyes snapped open and she saw a familiar figure standing between her and the other prisoners. _He's…here?_

Sonic tilted his head slightly, watching Noriko's attacker writhe in agony over his broken hand. "You look surprised. What did you _think_ was going to happen when you touched something that doesn't belong to you?"

"The guards put her in here for us to have fun with!" someone protested. "So she belongs to _everyone_!"

"If anyone is going to have fun with her, it's going to be me. I can't believe you thought that you could get away with that." He wrapped an arm around the girl's waist and drew her close against his side. "This woman is _mine_ and _only mine_."

The girl closed her eyes when he lifted her and felt her heart pounding. His fingertips dug into her skin through her clothes, clearly showing his displeasure at the turn of events. When he set her down, it was on a cold and hard floor. She opened her eyes to find him straightening and turning to a large figure in the dark cell that they were now in. _What's going on? Who is that? And is this really where Sonic has been for the past month? Genos brought him to a place like this?_ The cold seemed to permeate her clothes and made her shiver in the darkness.

"Ugh. Why did you bring a…? Wait a minute. That's Samurai Catgirl, isn't it? What's she doing _here_? She better not think that she can take any of my boys from me," a voice said, coming from the large figure.

"Just watch her. I have to make an example of someone." Sonic started toward the open doorway and paused to look down at Noriko. An evil grin began to spread across his face. Crouching to her level, he lifted her chin so she was forced to meet his gaze. "When I'm done down there, we're going to catch up. So just contain your excitement until I come back for you."

Her shivering became worse after hearing this and she watched him walk away, leaving her alone with the ominous figure in the dark. From the corner of her eye, she saw them moving off of their bed to approach her. _This is it then. This person is going to kill me, isn't he? I can feel it. Whoever he is, he doesn't like me. I could hear it in his voice._ She flinched when he crouched in front of her, the fur on her tail bristling.

"We've never actually spoken, have we?" He narrowed his eyes on hers in the dimness of the cell. "I've never seen you up close before, either. So _you're_ Sonic's little sex kitten." He gripped her chin hard and turned her face this way and that to examine her. "Oh. Poor little kitty's face got hurt? What happened here?" He traced a fingertip along the cut on her cheek and frowned when she winced at his touch. "You know, now that I see you up close…you're even _plainer_ than I thought you were. You don't even wear makeup, do you?"

Noriko clenched her eyes shut when a hand went behind her head to unlatch her gag. When her mouth was free, she grimaced and briefly look at him. "Y-you're…was it…Puri Puri Prisoner? Thank you for taking that out."

"You have old blood smeared all over your mouth. It's unsightly. Honestly, I don't get what either of those beautiful men see in you. I think you'd be better suited with that lower class hero Saitama." They both glanced toward the doorway when screams of agony echoed up from below. "Noriko Murasaki. So do you have any idea what he sees in you?"

"Hn…I'm told that he fixates on people regularly." Her ears drew back and she released a quiet sigh of relief at being able to move her jaw. _I don't know why, but I get the feeling that this guy isn't going to hurt me after all._ Licking the tips of her fangs, she tasted the remnants of blood from when she mauled her old cellmate. "D-do you have any water?"

He sighed in a dramatic fashion and stood. "I _guess_ I can give you some."

She watched him move across the cell, her tail flicking back and forth behind her. _He took out the gag. He's willing to give me water. Could he get these shackles off of my wrists?_ Noriko drank from the bottle of water that he held, trying not to look at the man. "So…you like Sonic then…Puri Puri Prisoner?"

The man beamed. "Of course! He's a cutie, isn't he? You must think he's cute to spend so much time with him. Tell me. What is it that you like about him the most?"

Sensing that this was a topic he thoroughly enjoyed, she half-smiled. "You first. What's your favorite thing about Sonic?" The screams continued from beyond the doorway and she tried not to think about the horrific things that the ninja was probably doing to the other prisoners. _He doesn't even need weapons to make thugs like them scream like little girls. I can't imagine what's going on down there right now. And this guy. As long as I keep him talking…as long as he sees me as a friend…he won't let Sonic do anything to me, right?_

"I think my favorite thing about him is his _body_. He's got such a nice build~"

"Y-yeah…he does." Noriko could feel her face turning red as she found her thoughts wandering to her last romantic encounter with Sonic. "I think…hm…I hate to say it…but I kind of like his grin…and his hair is really soft."

"So? What's he like in _bed_ ~?"

She lowered her gaze to the floor and she shook her head. "I-I don't really want to talk about that. He wouldn't want me to, I'm sure."

"Who wouldn't want what?" Sonic stared at the two from the doorway, his grey eyes gradually narrowing into a glare. "What were you talking about?"

"We were just talking about how cute you are, Sonic. Especially when you get that jealous look in your eyes. So sexy~"

He entered the room and grabbed Noriko's left arm, hauling her to her feet. "We're going somewhere to be alone. If you follow us, I'll make you regret it," he stated in a low voice, directing his hatred toward the taller man.

 _I haven't been killed yet, but if those screams were any indication…I'm pretty sure Sonic is mad. And not just at them. I guess it is sort of my fault that he's here; Genos brought him here to keep him away from me._ Noriko was guided to a vacant cell and shoved inside. Stumbling a little, she fell against the wall. She winced at the cold surface, but her attention soon shifted to the arms wrapping around her. His body felt warm against hers and brought on a strange sense of comfort. "S-Sonic…?"

"Quiet." He tightened his hold, closing his eyes to focus on her soft chest against him. His hips subconsciously pushed into hers and he leaned down to the side of her neck. "Did you miss me, Noriko?"

As much as she hated to admit it, she found that she had. A small nod was her response and she questioned whether or not it had been a good idea. His mouth covered hers, one hand threading through her long violet hair and letting the silky locks slip through his fingers. His other hand wandered down her back, stopping to cup her left buttock. Her lips parted in a gasp when he squeezed, his fingertips digging at her flesh through the fabric of her prison pants. Breaking the kiss, she found her heart racing and blood rushing to her cheeks. "S-Sonic…I don't…I don't want someone to-"

"They wouldn't dare to come close. I made sure of that." He kissed along her neck and felt the girl shudder pleasantly under his touch. "I missed you."

"Th-that's great and all, but I really don't think we should…" She felt his fingertips dig in deeper as he squeezed her bottom. _What is he thinking? After what almost happened to me down there! If those men heard me make a noise or if they knew what we were doing, they would definitely do something horrible!_

He pulled away just enough to look down and narrow his eyes upon the bell choker that she was wearing. His other hand went to it, lifting the tiny bell with one finger. "What is this? Did Genos put this on you?"

Noriko tried to get free of his hold, but he pinned her in place against the wall. "Hn…he put it on for me, but it wasn't from him."

"Really? So who gave this to you? Who would be stupid enough to put a collar on someone that isn't theirs?" Sonic saw her glaring up at him and smirked. "If I have to torture you to get the information, I can't promise that you'll be able to stay quiet. Isn't that what you were afraid of? Attracting attention? It's just too bad; I really wanted to throw you onto that bed and remind you of what it feels like to be with a real man. And if I do that, I can assure you that you won't be able to stay quiet."


	68. Chapter 68

The air in the cell was cold, sending as chill through Noriko as her shackles were snapped. She immediately wrapped her arms around Sonic's neck, pressing her body close against his for warmth. He smirked and lifted her legs around his waist, leaning down to her feline ear. "What? You're cold? Do you want me to warm you up, Noriko?"

"Just…sh-shut up." With a growl, she leaned up and caught his lips with hers, lightly sinking a fang into his bottom lip. The ninja released a growl of his own and rolled his hips into hers, making her back arch. _I can't believe I'm in this situation. I'm basically trapped in this prison with him as my only protection, but more than that…I'm just glad to see that he's alright. But why should I care? The last time I saw him, he was trying to keep me from everyone else! I should be angry._ Her fingers slid through his hair, breaking their kiss with a gasp when he ground against her. "Hn…careful."

"How can you expect me to be careful? It's been over a month." He moved over to the shabby bed against the far wall and set her down. His grey eyes roamed over her prone figure, a grin spreading across his face. "Why do you look so good in the prison uniform?"

She scowled up at him. "They gave me a size too small…because they were counting on the others doing terrible things to me. Can we just not-?" Noriko interrupted herself with a yelp when her pants were tugged down. "Sonic, wait a second!"

"What?" Hovering over her, his grin began to falter. "You're really going to complain now? If you're afraid of making too much noise, I can always get that gag you came in with."

Her face turned a faint pink and she bared her fangs. "That's not…I mean…"

"So? What's the problem then?" He leaned in close and smirked when she looked away. "I missed you. For some reason, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since I got in here. So if you don't have any more objections…"

"Hn~" Noriko closed her eyes when she felt his warm hand rub between her legs. Turning her head to the side, she tried not to let her pleasure show on her face. _I want to be angry, but it's so difficult! Damn it! Later_ , she promised herself. _I'll be angry later. After this._ She heard a rustle of cloth and the shabby mattress dipped as he joined her on the bed, pulling the blanket over them both. Her arms went around his neck once more as she felt warm flesh against her lower half. "J-just…be careful. Okay?"

His lips brushed over the side of her neck and he grinned. "I'll try to control myself, but I can't make any promises." Reaching between them, Sonic carefully aligned himself with her entrance and pressed into her.

Noriko felt him enter her wet folds, pushing in little by little. It was gradual and when he was fully sheathed inside of her, he paused. She could not deny the fact that she had missed him. Though he often infuriated her, he had become an important part of her life and she knew that she had become an important part of his. For a moment, she recalled a dream that she had had the night before her incarceration. The dream that involved herself, Genos, and Sonic. Her face turned red as she thought about it, but her thoughts were shattered as he quickly pulled out.

"You know what?" he started, his grin spreading. "I don't think I want to control myself." Sonic's hips bucked forward, thrusting deep into her and drawing forth a moan from the girl. He bit his lip to keep himself silent as he fell into a quick, deep rhythm. The feeling of her wet, warm muscles stretching around his member and gripping onto it was almost too much. Sonic ran a hand along her thigh before pushing her leg up to let him push in even deeper.

The girl felt a yowl growing at the back of her throat and silenced herself by sinking her fangs deep into his shoulder. He tensed at the initial pain, but continued to thrust into her. She let her nails dig into his back, her hips bucking up to meet his. Her eyes slid closed as he began to move faster. They were both struggling to keep quiet now, the girl's moans being muffled against his shoulder and the man gritting his teeth to withhold his own sounds. Sonic shifted a hand behind her head, fingers threading into her long violet hair before pulling her face away from his shoulder. It was a sharp movement that was soon followed by his mouth covering hers. Noriko's spine arched and his free arm wrapped around her lower back to draw her hips closer to his.

Sonic felt her nails clawing up his back, leaving red lines in their wake and making him thrust in harder to take his mind off of the stinging pain. The agony was followed by a rush of pleasure as her fingers ran through his hair, one hand settling on the back of his neck. When their kiss broke, he let her bite into his shoulder again as his focus shifted to finishing. He had kept himself on edge for a while, trying to draw out their reunion, but the pleasure was proving to be a little too much.

Noriko felt the head of his member pound faster against her most sensitive spot and the knot of pleasure in her lower half tightened. Her nails sank into his scalp lightly, her hips pressing up into his as her climax hit. The girl's muscles tightened around him, coating his member in her juices. "Ngh! Sonic~" she quietly moaned, forcing her voice to be just above a whisper. She collapsed beneath him, her body going lax as the past days of sleeplessness caught up with her. "I…love you…"

He grinned wickedly. "I love you too, but don't think that we're done yet. I'm just getting started. This isn't just about my payment for saving you today. This is about everything I've had to suffer because of your precious boyfriend. I'm going to get a month's worth of revenge. And…" Leaning down again so his face was close to hers, he forced her to meet his gaze. "Right now, I think I'm going to keep at it until I've had my fill. You won't be able to walk when I'm done, but don't worry. I'll take care of you, Noriko."

 **Shift P.O.V**

The apartment was moderately quiet. It would have been whether or not Noriko was there, but it just felt abnormally quiet in her absence. Saitama looked up from his manga, half-hoping that she might walk through the door at any moment. He had plans for when she did return. Though he had intended to tell her how he felt after her fight with Yaya, she had been in shock when they returned to the apartment. Even their kiss seemed to have been forgotten by her. Of course, he remembered. He could remember the feeling of her lips; soft and warm, with a faint taste of sweets. That day should had a different ending. Though he knew it was impossible to expect that they could have done more, they could have at least had a better end to the day than her being hauled off to prison.

His eyes shifted from the door to Genos, who was sitting in front of the computer. What he was doing, Saitama was uncertain. They had settled into a strange sort of silence, speaking only when necessary. Neither of them tried to make conversation because they knew that the other was deep in thought. _He's still worried about Nya-chan. I told him that she's probably okay. She's in a women's prison. How bad can it be? And her trial is in a few days, isn't it? She's been gone for a little over a week now._ He turned the page and looked down at the manga again. "What are you doing?" he forced himself to ask.

"I am looking at lists of prison inmate deaths that occurred in the past week. Thankfully, I do not see Noriko's name on any of them." The blonde turned away from the computer and looked at Saitama. "Are you hungry? Did you want me to make dinner?"

A sigh left him as he turned the page again. "I guess. You don't make stuff the way _she_ does though." He heard Genos move into the kitchen and lifted his gaze. _She always looks cute when she cooks. Especially when she wear his apron._ The thought of her wearing just the apron briefly crossed his mind and he lowered his eyes again. "Hey, remember that thing you said?"

"Master Saitama, I say a lot of things. Which thing are you referring to?"

"Are you being sassy right now? I can't tell." Saitama saw the cyborg's face and frowned slightly. He looked completely serious. "Okay. I guess not. I was talking about-" A knocking at the door interrupted the hero, as well as a high-pitched voice calling a greeting. "Koneko?"

The apartment door was opened to reveal the small catgirl. She was wearing her pink winter coat and a backpack, so stuffed with belongings that some clothes were poking out. "Sensei! It's been over a week! Why haven't you come to see me?! And where's big sister?" the girl demanded, moving in for a hug.

He hugged back and raised an eyebrow. "Uh…what? Oh. Sorry, Koneko; I've been kind of distracted. Nya-chan had to go somewhere for a while, but she'll be back in a few days probably. What's with the backpack?"

Her smile became a pout and she stomped a boot on the floor. "Sensei! I'm here for the sleepover, _obviously_! Granny said you called and wanted me to come for a sleepover! I don't know why I needed to bring so much, but Granny said I should bring a bunch of clothes! So where's my big sister, sensei?"

Genos looked at them both from the kitchen and tilted his head. "Noriko is…occupied."

"Okay, but _where_?! Can't we go see her, wherever she is?"

"We cannot go there right now, Koneko. What do you want for dinner?"

Saitama watched the girl walk over to join Genos in the kitchen, hearing her complain that his cooking could never measure up to Noriko's or the old rancher's. _I never called the old lady. Why did she send the kid here with so much stuff? Did she have to go somewhere? Did her yakuza past finally catch up with her or something? Wait. Damn it. What if Kenta was there and the old woman was just stalling him while Koneko escaped?_ He locked the apartment door, glancing toward the balcony. There was no sign of anyone outside.

He walked over to the glass door and stared out at the cold afternoon for a moment. Suddenly, the thought of Noriko being away made him quite anxious. The thought of Kenta attacking the ranch and the old woman led to the thought of him getting into the women's prison and murdering Noriko. This, of course, led to the thought of her death. To the thought of losing her forever, without ever letting her know how he felt. Without even saying good bye.

"Are you sure that we cannot break her out of prison?" Genos asked very quietly, standing beside him.

"We shouldn't. I mean, it would definitely be _wrong_ to break her out. There's no question about that. But I really don't like the idea of her being there." Saitama rubbed the back of his head and sighed. "Look, she'll be out in a few days. The trial will be quick and she'll be back here soon. If we break her out, they might make her stay longer and we might end up in prison too. We can't help her if we're in prison." Turning toward his friend, he managed a firm look that would hopefully convey the message properly. "Don't get me wrong, Genos. I _want_ her."

Genos nodded once, completely misunderstanding. "Yes. I also want her to be out of prison. When she is released, we will meet her there so that she can be with us sooner. In the meantime, how do we keep Koneko occupied? She is asking a lot of questions."

"Hey! I heard that! I'm not a little kid, senpai! You can tell me where my big sister is! Did she go to find Sonic-sensei?" Koneko demanded, standing in the entrance to the kitchen.

"She would never go in search of that pervert."

 **Shift P.O.V**

It had been a few days since Noriko's arrival at the prison and her reunion with Sonic. They were rarely apart and when he did leave her to her own devices, it was in one of two cells that he deemed safe for her. Currently, she was sitting on the floor in a certain cell, watching television with a certain inmate. Her back was against a cold, hard wall and she was shivering slightly in the chilled cell. _I don't think I've seen him leave this cell at all. How can he stand this cold?_ She glanced toward the open doorway, curious as to what Sonic was doing.

"How old are you? You look a little young for him."

The girl jumped a little at the sudden words from her new acquaintance and turned to look at him. He seemed to be studying her in the dim light, as if trying to determine if she were actually a threat. "Er…I'm eighteen."

"Eighteen," he repeated in an almost taunting way. "How _cute_."

Her feline ears drew back and drew her knees to her chest. "…are you wearing more mascara than usual today…?" she muttered, hoping to sound spiteful.

"Have to keep myself looking good for my boys~"

"You don't say. I wouldn't know anything about that…what with being so _plain_." She yawned, briefly flashing her fangs and hearing him scoff. _I don't like how this guy acts like my friend one minute and then he gets…kind of…what's the word I'm looking for? Like he thinks I'm his competition. It makes me nervous._ Noriko shivered again and wrapped her arms tighter around herself. "I mean…I'm plain, but at least I get some."

"What was that, you little cat-eared hussy?"

"Hn? Oh…sorry. I didn't realize I said that out loud. Well, back to what you were saying, I might be too young for him. I have no idea how old Sonic is." With that, she began to frown. _I don't know much about Sonic at all. He doesn't really talk about himself. For all I know, he could be older than he looks. Or younger. I don't think Puri Puri Prisoner is into older guys._

"You don't even really know him, do you? It's kind of funny. He knows so much about you. I can tell that he does. And he spent the past weeks trying to break out of here to get to you. Every time I saw him, he was wanting to know if you'd been on the news or if I was planning to escape. Hmph. You don't even appreciate everything he's doing for you, do you? Just the other day, you told me that you've been thinking about _Genos_."

"What about that cyborg freak?" Sonic's figure in the doorway made both Noriko and the inmate jolt a little. He crossed the cell to where the girl was sitting and crouched in front of her. "Don't tell me that you _miss_ him. In case you've forgotten, you're not going to see him for a long time so you'd better get used to the idea of not seeing him. You're stuck here with _me_." The ninja leaned in closer, briefly locking lips with the girl as he gripped the front of her choker. "If you're thinking about anyone, I want it to be me. You're mine and I'm yours," he said as he tugged at his neckline to display her bite mark. "Or did you forget?"

"Hn…how could I forget?" she replied, moving her lips over the scar. "Sonic. Why don't we take this somewhere more private?"

"Did you know that she's only eighteen? She's a child. You know I can offer you so much more, Sonic~" the other man spoke up.

"The age difference doesn't bother me, obviously. Why don't you go back to watching your shows? My girlfriend needs me." Sonic lifted the catgirl and cast a smirk in the other man's direction.


	69. Chapter 69

Noriko shivered beneath the blanket and drew closer against the warm body beside her. The prison was oddly quiet and she suspected that it might be early morning, but it was hard to tell. There were no clocks. No windows. The only way to determine what time it was seemed to be by going by your gut feeling. She felt Sonic's arm around her, pulling her snug against him as his eyes opened slightly. Her cheeks turned pink at the eye contact and looked away, embarrassed that she had been staring.

"Were you watching me sleep?" he taunted, his mouth turning up at the corners. "Or were you just waiting patiently for something?"

"Hn. It's not like that," she argued, trying to hide her face. _Damn it. Does he have to look so smug?_ The catgirl nuzzled her cheek against the side of his neck, a soft purr leaving her when a hand stroked along her spine.

"You can't lie to me. I know you better than that, Noriko." The ninja paused for a moment, enjoying the way her warm, soft skin felt against his. "I know everything about you, remember? You're mine and I'm yours."

She frowned and her feline ears drew back. "You keep saying that, but I don't know much about you, do I? I can't think of a time when you've talked about yourself."

"You already know everything that you need to know about me," he countered. Sonic let his fingers tangle into her long violet hair and pull her face back so that their eyes met. "You love me, don't you?" It was asked in an almost taunting way.

"Sh-shut up…" she snarled, nipping at his bottom lip. Noriko felt his hips push forward against hers. "Hn. Don't act like it's one-sided."

"You know it isn't." For a moment, he simply stared into her sharp green eyes. When his gaze began to wander, it roamed over the rest of her face. He was slightly amazed to find that she had scars he had never noticed before. They were very light, old scars, but it still surprised him. The one running across her nose was what drew his attention the most. The man wondered how she got it. What sort of fight she might have been in, what sort of monster she might have battled. He knew where most of her other scars had come from; he had seen her fights and to this day he could vividly recall how she acquired the large circular scar at the center of her chest.

Noriko shifted her gaze away from him and felt her cheeks begin to heat up. "Stop staring like that. It's unsettling."

"What? Do you think I'm going to do something to you? Let me rephrase that. What do you want me to do to you?" Sonic pulled her face to his, their lips meeting in a warm, rough kiss. He could feel her soft breasts pressing against his chest through their shirts and briefly thought about pulling hers off of her. This thought was interrupted by a loud booming sound below them near the door.

The catgirl yelped as he abruptly sat up, wrapping his arms protectively around her and covering her mouth with a hand. _What is he doing?! Wait! What was that noise about though? Is Puri Puri Prisoner escaping? Or is someone breaking in? What if it's Genos?! How would I explain this? I couldn't possibly-!_

"Stop squirming!" he hissed in her feline ear. "I don't care who that is. I'm not letting you get away from me again. So if that's a guard, planning to take you out of here, they'll have to take me with you."

Her heart began to race as she stared wide-eyed at the cell door. The wall it was set into was made completely of iron bars and the door itself had been manipulated so that it only opened from the inside. Sonic's arms tightened around her when the other prisoners began to shout down below. Pounding footsteps could be heard on the stairs leading up to their level, the sounds of a fight echoing up to them. Feeling the ninja's body heat against her back gave her a small sense of comfort, but fear was making her stomach turn. She trembled in his hold, her hands moving to grip the arm that crossed her chest. Her fingertips dug into his arm through his sleeve, but rather than pain him it seemed to reassure him. Noriko soon felt his warm breath on her right ear.

"If they think that they can separate us, they're walking into their own death. I'm going to take you out of here, now that the door's open. If anyone gets in our way, I'll tear them down."

The footsteps on the stairs were now approaching and soon Noriko found herself staring at something bizarre. Three men in dark suits were standing on the other side of the bars, looking in at them with curiosity and then satisfaction. One of them turned away and called, "We found her! It was a girl with purple hair, right?"

"A girl with purple hair and cat ears. You'd better not be leading me to some little gang banger slut," a raspy female voice called back. Footsteps approached and soon a shorter figure appeared on the other side of the bars. Though she was wearing an old, tattered kimono, it was still easy to recognize Koto. The old woman's hair was pulled back in a tight bun with strands hanging loosely around her face, her sleeves rolled up and tied to display the dragon and cherry blossom tattoos. When she peered into the cell, she smirked. "Well, well. So _this_ is where he's been? Would've thought he was smarter than that. Only a _fool_ gets caught."

"What are you doing here, old woman?" Sonic held Noriko even tighter, watching the old rancher intently as she paced along the bars.

"I'm here to get Koneko's mom out of prison. You think I'd let that poor girl spend New Year's without her mom? I thought this might happen; that piggy slut she was fighting looked like a snobby rich man's brat. Now why don't you tell me why you're getting so cozy with that flaky creep when I warned you about womanizers like him?"

Sonic raised an eyebrow at the old woman's words. "What is she talking about?"

Noriko pulled his hand away from her mouth and scowled. "I-it's nothing. Um…y-you're here to break me out then?"

One of the men behind Koto slammed his wooden bat against the bars. "Watch your mouth, girl! Show Koto-sama the proper respect!"

"Shut your trap, boy. I don't give a rat's ass how she refers to me." Koto turned her attention back to Noriko and stepped closer to the bars. It was now that both of the cell's occupants noticed the blood splattered there. "Listen here. Right this second, my boys are down there herding those thugs away from the doors. Don't know how many tranquilizers we had to shoot into that big fella, but he's down. So when this cell door opens, you're both coming back with me. Got that? You're not making that little girl spend New Year's without her mom."

"If she leaves, I'm going with her," Sonic stated.

She looked from the ninja to Noriko. "You want to take him with us?" The catgirl nodded once, with a hint of reluctance. "You remember what I said, don't you? Don't be making any brothers and sisters for Koneko. And you've gotta be careful around guys like that. Pretty boys. They stick it in whatever hole they find."

Noriko's face turned red and she turned away. "Y-yeah, I remember, but…just…c-can you please take him with us?"

"Hmph. Suit yourself." The three men set about prying open the door and once it was open, Koto motioned for the two occupants to come out. "Don't take all damn day. My boys can't keep fighting forever down there."

Sonic kept a tight grip on her arm as they stepped out of the cell and started toward the stairs. A look below showed what appeared to be a massive amount of prisoners being held at bay by at least a dozen men in black suits, each with their sleeves rolled up to display cherry blossom tattoos. There was a large figure slumped on the ground across from the exit, their body full of tranquilizer darts and their fingers twitching. The ninja looked to Noriko, who was anxiously glancing around at everything happening around them. When he saw her begin to absently bite her thumbnail, he decided to make his move.

The catgirl was suddenly being held in his arms, tight against his chest, as he sprinted for the door. To her absolute horror, bullets whizzed past them both as Koto's men began to shoot. He dodged every projectile with ease, his sights set on the exit. The old woman's voice could be heard shouting above the blast of guns and cries of the prisoners. "Don't hurt the girl, damn it! What're you thinking, you damn fools?! I said to get her out safely and look what you've let happen! Stop him!"

The door was open just enough for Sonic to slip through and proceed to dodge the two thugs waiting on the other side. Noriko's arms wrapped around his neck, pressing her face against his chest as they sped through the prison. Only when she felt the cold winter air burning her cheeks did she force herself to speak. "Where are you taking me?! She was going to take us back to her ranch and hide us there!"

"Are you really that naïve? She was going to separate us. From the way she was talking, I bet she thought that she could kill me and take you back to them. She always spoke so highly of Saitama whenever I visited. What's so great about him?"

"…Koneko once said that if she could have a father…"

"I don't want to hear it! That old woman is senile if she thinks that he's better than me! And your kid just has bad taste in men." He paused, taking a moment to look around at their surroundings. They were a good distance from the prison at this point, the man standing in the cold winter air as he tried to determine his next move. The decision to carry Noriko and run had been spontaneous. For an instant, he had actually considered going with the old woman. "Now that I have you, I'm never letting you go."

"Hn…just where do you think we'll be able to hide? We're fugitives. And now we're running from the law _and_ Koto's men."

"I'll figure something out. I don't know why you're worried. There's no way they'll catch up to us." Sonic's grey eyes lowered to her green ones and he raised an eyebrow. "What? Are you worried that they'll call him to take you back to prison?"

Noriko narrowed her eyes and bared a fang. "He wouldn't do that."

"I think he would." Sonic began to move again, speeding across the snowy landscape effortlessly. "Isn't he a dedicated member of that stupid association? He's like their dog, isn't he? They tell him to go out and kill a monster or fight a villain, he goes off to obey their orders without question. Just like a good little lap dog. If you need more proof, just look at how he follows Saitama everywhere like a puppy. I don't know what you see in him."

"…I don't have to explain myself to you…" She winced, feeling his fingertips dig into her skin through her prison clothes. _Damn it! Now is the worst time for him to be-!_

"You still love him, don't you? Let me rephrase that. You _think_ you love him, don't you? What is it? His flat personality, his cold metal body, or the fact that he's hopelessly devoted to Saitama?" The man shifted her over his shoulder, picking up speed with the change of position. "So what is it?"

"I said that I don't have to explain myself to you!" Her nails sank into his back as she closed her eyes. The girl's face was rapidly turning pink as she felt one of his hands on her rear, caressing the cheek through her pants. "Sonic, don't-!"

"If you think that's all I'm going to do, just wait until we find our hiding place. I'm going to do a lot more than this when we have the time." His fingertips traced down, moving toward the inside of her thigh, and pressed against her opening through the thin fabric of her pants. She released a quiet moan, her tail flicking back and forth in front of him. "I love when you make that sound."

"Sh-shut up! It's…it's not something that I can help! Especially when you…touch me like that~" Another moan escaped her and she grimaced, her nails sinking deeper into his back. She felt him press a little harder, rubbing along her slit as his eyes focused on the horizon. When his fingertips pushed on her clit, her hips bucked against his shoulder. "S-Sonic~!"

He smirked and continued to run, not letting his hand move away from her warmth. "If you don't stop squirming, I might drop you."

"Ngh! D-damn it! Now…now isn't the time…to be doing things like that!" Noriko bit her bottom lip as he bent his fingers, letting his knuckles rub against her warm opening through the fabric. Her hips were moving slightly, grinding on his hand as he continued.

"I can feel you getting wet already. If you're too eager, we can probably stop for a break," he taunted. "Aren't you curious what it would feel like to do it right here in the snow?"

 **Shift P.O.V**

Saitama was not sure of what to expect when he arrived at the ranch. He had a feeling that something was not quite right. _Koneko said that the old lady told her to sleep at our place so I thought that something might've happened to her, but the ranch looks okay._ The hero was standing near the gated area, staring at the cattle that were watching him. Genos was scouring the small house for clues to the old woman's whereabouts, but it seemed like there would be none. Reaching over the fence to let one of the cows sniff at his hand, he frowned. "Have you guys seen old lady Koto?"

"I was unable to find any clues to her whereabouts," Genos stated bluntly as he stepped out of the house. Upon finding his master petting a cow, he tilted his head. "Master Saitama? Is the cow bothering you?"

"Huh? Oh. Uh, no. I just wondered how its hair felt. It's bristly." He tucked his hands into his pockets and turned away from the cattle. "Okay, so what's next? Do we call the police or something? I mean, I'm about eighty percent sure she's an ex yakuza assassin so I don't know if it's the best idea. What do you think, Genos?"

He was about to reply when his phone began to ring. When he answered it, he remained silent for several minutes. The cyborg's expression darkened to rage when he finally hung up. "That was the Hero Association." He waited for Saitama's attention to shift back from petting the cow again before continuing. "There was a misunderstanding and Noriko was sent to a maximum security men's prison and has been there for the past few days. Today there was a break in at the prison and two prisoners escaped. They say that Speed o' Sound Sonic left and took Noriko with him. We must begin searching for them before he-"

"Okay, slow down. So _Sonic_ has her? We know he's not going to hurt her. I don't like the idea of him touching her, either, but as long as she's safe then we have time." Saitama frowned. _She should be okay, right? We'll look for her though. I hate her being with that guy._

"Another thing. They mentioned that her trial was today and a hero testified in her favor. They have determined that she is innocent of murder. I do not think that she is aware of it yet."


	70. Chapter 70

It was innocent enough. Two junior high students, a boy and a girl, were standing behind an old building and feeding the massive population of stray cats that plagued City G. The girl was smiling brightly, making sure to pet each cat that came close so that none would feel left out. Her friend stood beside her, watching her with a slight blush on his cheeks. When the high school student appeared around the corner, the young boy jumped a little. "W-we're not doing anything wrong here! No one said we couldn't feed the cats!" he immediately spoke up.

The high schooler tilted his head and push his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. There was something 'off' about him for certain. He was slouching and sweating a little as he looked at the two younger children. His hair was greasy and hug to his shoulders in uncombed locks. He snorted upon hearing the boy's words. "I didn't even say anything. Why are you being so defensive?" His eyes shifted to the girl, looking her up and down.

The girl was wearing the middle school uniform of a public school and had long purple hair that was pulled back in ponytails. "Oniichan, we couldn't let the kitties be hungry."

He started to sweat even more, his face turning red at the way she addressed him. "Huhuhuh. You're cute. What's your name?"

The young boy put himself between the high schooler and the girl, scowling. "We're not supposed to talk to strangers! Go away!"

"My parents said that a little kindness goes a long way!" the girl argued. She stepped out from behind the boy and beamed. "My friends call me Hinyako. What's your name?"

An unsettling smile grew on the high schooler's face as he walked over to her. "You can call me Kenta-niichan…"

Noriko snapped awake, trembling and teary-eyed. She looked around at her surroundings for a moment, trying to remember how she had ended up in a warm bed. _Right…that's right. We're in City G. Must be why I had that dream._ She pushed herself to sit up and leaned back against the wall. Her eyes shifted to the spot beside her, where Sonic should have been.

The catgirl stood and crossed the bedroom to the window, peering out at the bright morning. The house that they currently occupied was vacant due to the owners being on vacation. It was located next door to the home she had shared with her family for twelve years. The previous night, they had arrived under cover of darkness and settled in without looking around too much. Her prison uniform was starting to feel grimy against her skin so she wandered over to the closet. _I hate borrowing a stranger's clothes, but…_ Her eyes narrowed on the various long dresses. _Oh, good. Mom clothes._

"What are you doing?" Sonic saw her tense and tilted his head. With a smirk, he walked across the room and pulled her back against his chest. "I've been waiting for you to wake up."

"Hn…l-look, I need a shower…or a bath. Or something. I feel gross." She shivered when his teeth lightly closed on her ear, the fur on her tail bristling. "Sonic…"

"Just pick something to wear and meet me downstairs. By the way, they have a teenage daughter. Her room is two doors down on the right."

When she turned to look at him, she found that he had already gone. Sighing in defeat, she wandered down the hallway to the girl's bedroom and grabbed a random outfit. Noriko was slightly reluctant to join him on the first floor. Her thoughts went to the day before, when they had escaped the prison. _The old woman was going to let us hide on her ranch. I know what he said, but I doubt that she would have wanted to kill him. Or that she even could have._

The first floor had a large foyer at the bottom of the stairs with doors to either side of the staircase. One led to the well-equipped kitchen and the other led to a large sitting room. Beyond the stairs was a short corridor leading to the bathroom. She found Sonic waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs, seeming to have grown impatient. "Hn. So what's going on? What's so important that you had to wait for me to wake up?" The girl saw his lips twitch into a smirk. Her tail shifted side to side as she nervously bit her lower lip.

"I'll show you. I'm sure you're going to like this." He grabbed her hand and led the way to the bathroom, sliding open the door with no hesitation to release a cloud of steam.

Noriko's face turned red as she watched him strip, her bright green eyes roaming over every inch of his toned chest. A glance toward the tub showed a large bath that was full of soapy hot water. Just the sight of it filled her with relief. Without a word, she pulled off the prison shirt and pants that she was wearing, glad to be rid of the scratchy fabric.

"I knew you would like this, but I didn't think you would be so eager. Or is the sight of me just that much of a turn on?" he taunted, pulling her front against his. The man's heart beat a bit faster when she leaned up to kiss him, fangs scraping over his bottom lip for a second. When the kiss broke, he could see that her face was still a vibrant shade of red. "What are you waiting for? Are you going to get in?"

"Hn…y-yeah. Just be patient." She yelped as his hips pushed against hers, feeling his hard member rub between her legs. "You know, for all your teasing, it seems like you're more eager. Are you sure you can last?"

"Oh, do you think you're being cute?" Sonic released her and walked around the girl to the bath. A look over his shoulder showed that she was sheepishly watching him. "Come on."

She growled quietly as she saw him settle into the hot water, a look of contentment clear in his grey eyes. Noriko allowed herself a half-smirk and strode over to the edge of the bath, her feline ears perked forward. It was strange to see him look so relaxed after the hellish days that they had spent together in the prison. He had been on constant alert, seeming to not sleep as he attempted to keep her safe. As she slipped into the water, she was not surprised in the least to feel his arms around her waist. Her head tilted back against his shoulder, eyes closing.

"Don't think that you're going to get away with taunting me," he hissed as a hand slipped between her legs. Slipping a finger into her was surprisingly easy and he knew why. He could tell, even in the bath, that she was wet and it gave him a sense of pride in knowing that she got that way from looking at him. "How are you this wet after just seeing me?" he teased, nipping at her ear. "Does _he_ affect you this way?"

"D-don't…say things like that," she growled, trying not to think about the pleasure slowly building in her lower half. A second finger joined the first and he spread them, stretching her opening and spreading her juices over the warm pink flesh. She moved her hips up and down in an effort to get friction, riding his fingers while heat spread across her face and throughout her lower half. "Ngh! Sonic…"

"Human skin feels better, doesn't it? Am I the only actual human that's been inside of you, Noriko? Go ahead and say it. I'm better than he is. We both know it." He pumped his fingers in and out of her, shifting his thumb to rub over her clit. His free hand moved up her abdomen to her right breast, massaging and squeezing it in an effort to get her to moan. When her lips parted and his name quietly slipped out, he grinned evilly. He leaned down, kissing along her neck while she continued to ride his fingers. "Noriko. I want to hear you say it."

She grabbed his wrist and drew his hand away, frowning. "You think that I'm so weak that I'll say something like that?" The catgirl turned in the water so that she was facing him. Her left hand went to his shoulder, an attempt at holding him in place while her right hand gripped his member. He tensed at the contact, gritting his teeth to withhold a sound of pleasure. She saw his eyes half-close and her tail lifted from the water, swaying side to side. _He looks cute when he's trying to hide how he feels_ , she thought with amusement. This thought was soon followed by the realization that, unlike Sonic, Genos rarely seemed to change facial expressions. Noriko shook the thought from her mind and gripped a bit harder when he tried to buck into her hold. "Hn. What was that just now? You're awfully eager."

"You're the one that can't stop staring," Sonic countered. "If you think that I'm going to let you keep taunting me, think again. I have unlimited time with you now; that means unlimited time to do whatever I want."

Ignoring the taunting, Noriko leaned down and gave the head of his member a tentative lick. He tensed beneath her and gritted his teeth once more before shifting to give her better access. She let her left hand slowly trail down his chest, fingertips skimming over scars and toned muscle as her right hand ran along his length. Noriko felt his fingers running through her long, dark violet hair and lifted her gaze from his midsection to find him watching her through half-closed eyes. _Why does he have to look at me that way?_ Blood rushed to her cheeks and she released a low growl.

"Ngh. What is that supposed to mean? You can't handle it if someone's watching you?" he taunted, tangling his fingers in her hair. His hips subconsciously bucked up, his cock slipping past her lips and startling them both. The feeling of her warm lips wrapped around his member, along with the sight of her taking him into her mouth, was almost enough push him to the edge. His nails sank into her scalp lightly as he thrust into her, using every ounce of control to keep from inadvertently hurting her. The sensation of her lips sliding up and down his length made his heart hammer in his chest. She fell into a rhythm, running her tongue along the underside of his member just to test his reaction. Several minutes of this passed with him closing his eyes and simply basking in the sensation. When his climax hit, it hit him hard. To his absolute horror, a moan slipped from him that came with a shudder that ran throughout his body.

Noriko felt him pulse in her mouth and tried to pull away before something could happen, but soon felt his warm seed spilling down her throat. She finally managed to get out of his hold and leaned back, panting as she recovered. "D-damn it…why did you…?"

Sonic's face had taken on a light pinkish tint that he quickly tried to hide, letting stray locks of black hair fall over his face. "It's your fault. Don't act like you didn't know that would happen." An evil grin started to form as his blush faded and he soon had her back pressed to the wall, her body mostly out of the water and seated on the edge of the bath. "Now let me return the favor. Let's see how red I can get you to turn."

"W-wait a second! What if I fall-?" She tilted her head back, eyes closed as his tongue ran along her slit. The girl's fingers wove into his soft hair, struggling to keep herself from thrusting her hips when he repeated the action. Each time, he let the tip of his tongue linger to press just a little harder against her clit. Noriko's lips parted, a quiet moan coming forth and seeming to echo in the bathroom as he slipped a finger into her.

He pulled away a little to look up at the girl, grinning absolutely wickedly. Her face was red, eyes closed and mouth open as another moan tore through her. He could already feel himself growing hard again as she began to thrust her hips forward to get his finger deeper into her core. It was warm and wet, her juices tasting almost sweet as he drew his digit out of her and brought it into his mouth. Sonic watched her squirm as he licked his finger clean of her juices, seemingly seeking friction to help herself reach her peak. The ninja leaned down and shoved his tongue past her warm lower lips, lapping up the juices that had collected there. He felt her trying to buck into his face and quickly moved to pin her in place. Gripping her hips firmly, he swirled his tongue around inside of her.

The catgirl's fingertips dug into his scalp lightly, delighting in the softness of his dark hair against her skin. With her eyes closed, Noriko could focus on every millimeter of his warm, wet appendage as it slid in and out of her heated core. When he pulled out, she released a short whimper that was soon replaced by a loud moan of pleasure. Two fingers pushed deep into her while the tip of his tongue rubbed circles over her clit. "Nyaaah! S-Sonic, that's…that's too…it's too much! Ngh…aaahhh~! Sonic!" Noriko threw her head back as her climax hit, her muscles tightening around his fingers and coating them in her juices. She felt his digits slide out of her, replaced by his tongue as he licked away the warm stickiness. "D-don't…"

His hands pressed on her thighs to keep her legs open while he continued to savor the result of his actions. A low hum against her clit made her cry out again, her fingers desperately trying to push him away. When he finally complied, he stared up at her with satisfaction. Her violet hair was in disarray, her cheeks flushed red and her lips parted as she panted. His grey eyes roamed over her upper body, taking in the sight of the goose bumps on her pale skin and the way that her nipples had grown stiff in the chilled air. He leaned up and covered her lips with his, an arm wrapping around her waist to draw her back into the water.

She was straddling his hips, her opening hovering just above his member. Trailing her fingers down the side of his face, the girl growled into the kiss. It was broken by the ninja so he could lean down and take her right nipple between his lips. Noriko hissed, her back arching seconds before he pushed her down to take every inch of his cock into her warm opening. The head rammed against her most pleasurable spot, deep within her. She wrapped her arms around him, nails sinking into his back as he began thrusting into the girl. The muscles in her lower half tensed at the friction and the feeling of his warm lips on her breast. _How…? How can he…no…how can we both still get this excited by each other? How can this still feel so good, even after we've done it so many times over the past few days?_

Sonic felt her hips moving on their own, grinding down on him and sliding her warmth along the length of his manhood. The contact between his mouth and her chest was broken when he released a groan, pushing up harder than before to hit deeper. She gasped and clutched him tightly against her, her breasts rubbing against him. He loved the feeling of her warm skin pressed tightly to his own. He loved the expressions on her face and the sounds that escaped her. Everything she did was pushing him closer and closer to climaxing. "Ngh. I want to hear you beg for it, Noriko," he hissed into her feline ear.

She snarled and bared her fangs, momentarily considering biting him. Closing her eyes, the catgirl nuzzled her face into the side of his neck. "P-please…Sonic…I-I want to…feel you fill me up…nyaaaah~!" Noriko felt his hips thrust up sharply into hers and threw her head back again, a shiver running through her. Euphoria coursed through the girl's veins as her opening clenched around him and coated his member in her juices. She let her head lean against his shoulder, her nails lightly trailing down his back.

He closed his eyes as well when he reached his climax, spilling his seed deep into her. Leaning back against the side of the bath, he released a sigh of relief. The man's fingertips ran up and down her spine, eliciting a purr from her that only added to his satisfaction. Though there was something bothering him a little. It had been bothering him for a while and now that he had her alone for an indefinite amount of time, it seemed the best time to ask. Of course, he hoped that he was wrong. If he was right, it would be too strange. It would be ridiculous. Holding her tightly against his chest, Sonic finally asked, "You've never slept with Saitama, right?"


	71. Chapter 71

_It's like no one in this city watches the news_ , Noriko thought as she walked down the street alongside Sonic. A few days had passed so they had gone out with the intention of getting food and were not recognized by a single person other than her childhood friend Junko. The girl had squealed over Noriko's 'new boyfriend' and remarked that he was almost cuter than Genos. She felt her cheeks heating with a blush when Sonic's hand gave hers a small squeeze. It reminded her of the only other time they had held hands. That time they had been interrupted by the appearance of Saitama, but the odds of that happening again seemed small.

When they reached the house, she paused and looked toward her childhood home. It stood empty and silent, a dark reminder of the past. Without a word, she pulled her hand from his and strode to the yard where the three graves were. The day that she had escaped Kenta, she had returned to the house to find that someone had dug graves for her family and seemed to have been tending to the yard. To her surprise, there were fresh flowers laid upon each of the graves. Tilting her head, she suddenly felt almost as if she was being watched.

"I haven't been over here yet," he stated, examining the headstones. The one on the left seemed to be her father, the middle her mother, and the one on the right had to be her older brother. "Hideki, Harumi, and Hiro. What was your name?"

"…Hinako…" Her ears drew back and she light touched the headstone of her mother. _That's right. It was a Moriyama tradition to have names starting with that letter. My mother's name was just a coincidence._ She closed her eyes and for an instant, she could picture that horrific night that her family was murdered in front of her by Kenta. Forcing those memories to the back of her mind, she struggled to find a good one. A happier one. Tears slid down her cheeks as she fell to her knees. _I can't. Why can't I find a good memory? I know that I have them! I know that I loved them and they loved me so why can't I-?!_ Her eyes snapped open when she felt him lifting her. "Wh-what are you-?"

"We're going back." It irked him, but Sonic found it difficult to look at her when she showed such despair. He much preferred it when she was angry or at least when she showed passion. Though he knew that she would feel better when she knew what he had done the previous night. He had slipped out of the house when she was asleep and set about a task that he knew the girl would appreciate.

Noriko did not struggle when he carried her into the house next door. The cold winter air was beginning to make her face sting. Standing in the foyer, she grimaced to herself. "Sorry about that. I just…I want to remember them, but it's still difficult."

"You miss your family." He studied her expression, grey eyes taking in every flicker of sorrow and regret. "Do you really think they would want you to dwell on it like that?"

"I wouldn't know since I can't really remember them," she said with a hint of spite. "You don't understand, do you? What it's like to lose everything as a child."

"You don't know me." Sonic crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall. He knew that it irritated her that he kept secrets. It was actually quite amusing to see the faces that she made. For instance now, he was enjoying the sight of her scowl. "What? I'm selective about who I give information to and how much I give them. You're not ready yet."

"Hn. Just…whatever. I don't care anymore." She winced when her back pressed against the opposite wall, his hand lifting her chin and running his thumb over her lower lip. "Sonic-!"

"You say that, but I know you're curious. Too bad. I don't feel like talking about this anymore. So are you homesick for your little boyfriend?"

 _Where did that come from? I haven't mentioned Genos since we left the prison._ Her eyes narrowed and her tail flicked behind her in anger. "What if I _am_? You think I'm going to just forget him and all of my friends just because I'm on the run with you? Let me remind you, I didn't even get a choice; you dragged me along with you. I wanted to go with the old woman."

"So you _have_ been thinking about him. I'm pretty sure that I told you not to. Didn't I say that if you think about anyone, you should be thinking about _me_?" He leaned down to kiss her, one arm wrapped around her waist. "Do I need to give you more to think about? Is that it?"

She turned her face away, baring one fang. "Look, just…I don't want to do this right now." Noriko bit her lip to smother a gasp when she felt his mouth against her neck, pressing rough kisses there that filled her body with heat. "S-Sonic…we've…been doing this a lot. Don't you ever get tired?"

He smirked against her pale neck. "You're really going to ask me that? I could never get tired of this." His teeth nipped at her skin before his lips began to travel along her throat. When he felt her hips buck forward against his, he knew that he had reached the spot. Sonic's lips parted and he began to suck at her flesh to form a bruise.

Noriko squirmed, feeling a bizarre blend of agony and euphoria from the contact of his skin on hers. He gripped her shoulders when he grew tired of her struggling and pinned her against the wall, savoring the taste of her soft skin. The girl's eyes closed, her pulse racing as he finally pulled away. _That really stings! Damn it! He definitely left a mark!_ She reached for the bruise, but he caught her wrist in a tight hold and smirked down at her. "Sonic…"

"I'm not done." The man bit at the bruise, the intense sensation making her back arch. He ran the tip of his tongue over the bruise and ground the bulge in his pants between her legs. "You left your marks on me. Just consider that my way of repaying the favor." Sonic's grey eyes narrowed on the choker around her neck and poked the tiny bell, making it jingle. "I can't believe you're still wearing this. You never told me who was stupid enough to give that to you."

 **Shift P.O.V**

The cold air had no impact on him as he walked down the street, looking this way and that casually. "So you're sure she's here?" Saitama asked. The roads were moderately empty of people, being the middle of the day and being a working day. They had taken the train, after making preparations. Mumen Rider was watching Koneko for them, after many failed attempts to contact the old rancher. He had seemed reluctant, but a hug from the child had convinced him that everything would be alright. Additionally, Saitama knew that she would never hurt the other hero and had even told him this.

Walking beside him was Genos, who was looking down at his phone's screen. "Yes. I made good use of the collar that you gave Noriko for Christmas and implanted a tracking chip in the leather. It is small enough that she would not notice it, but strong enough to let me know her approximate whereabouts."

"Approximate? So you don't really know where she is?"

"I know that she is in City G. As long as we know this, we can narrow our search." The blonde looked up briefly to take in their surroundings. They had reached the end of a road and were now staring at the field that they had destroyed the last time they visited City G. Genos stared vacantly for a moment before turning back the way they had come from. "I think we will be more successful if we separate and search for her on different sides of the city. Master Saitama, would you like to start on this side or the other?"

He scratched his stomach under his shirt and shrugged. "I guess I'll start on this side. She's definitely here then?" Genos nodded and looked to the screen again. "Okay, so we'll just meet back at the train station."

"Yes. That is a good plan. I will find Noriko and meet you back there." The cyborg was about to leave, but paused. "What made you decide to join me, Master Saitama? You said that she was safe with Sonic, but you look concerned."

"Of course I'm concerned! I mean, our roommate's missing. And we're having to watch her kid." He met the gold and black stare, catching a flicker of skepticism on his face. "Okay, look! I'm worried about her and you know how you hate the thought of him touching her? I feel the same way, alright? I don't want him touching her."

"Are you worried that he will hurt her?"

"No, I just don't like the thought of him touching her. I mean. It makes me mad." He frowned and looked away. "Let's just hurry up."

"Alright. I will be quick." Genos gave him a parting glance before setting off at a high speed, his eyes fixed upon the phone screen in case Noriko left the city.

 _I guess I should be relieved that he put a tracking chip on that necklace, but it kind of feels like an invasion of her privacy. He couldn't have known this sort of thing would happen so soon after I gave it to her._ Saitama walked for a few blocks and sighed in frustration. The past few days had been difficult. When they had thought she was safe in a women's prison, they could at least relax a little. Knowing that Sonic had escaped prison and taken her with him was unsettling. It was hard to imagine what the ninja was planning or if he even had a plan for her. Though it was easy to guess what his intentions were.

Pausing in the road, he looked to his left and his right. _This feels familiar. Isn't her old house on this street?_ He turned and started down the road, examining the houses around him. Most of them were quiet with occupants gone to work and school. Approaching a house in slight disrepair, he tilted his head. The nameplate read 'Moriyama' and he frowned. _Right. Her real name is Hinako Moriyama. It's weird to think of her as anything other than Nya-chan._

Saitama went inside, but there was no sign of the house being inhabited. It had stood empty for around six years and everything inside had acquired a layer of dust. When he came upon her old bedroom, he stopped in the doorway. There was a slight reluctance tugging at his mind that said it was wrong to go into her room, but curiosity triumphed over this feeling. Stepping inside, he found himself surrounded with her past. There were old photographs of her with her friends from elementary school and her family members. _Huh. So her mom really did have purple hair. That's weird. And that boy must be that one she had a crush on, right? That's cute._ He went to the small desk against the wall and spotted something sitting on the surface beside an open diary. Without giving it much thought, and without questioning himself, he tucked the object into his pocket.

When he went outside, the hero found himself standing in the yard for a moment. It was well kept and the graves that he faced seemed to have been visited recently. This was evident by the fresh flowers that lay upon each grave and the footprints in the snow. _Two sets of footprints? That's kind of weird, isn't it? She's the only one that could have been here, but did Sonic come with her?_ The thought brought forth another that made him frown. _What if she's with him willingly? The Hero Association said that he was carrying her out of the prison when he escaped, but what if she went with him by choice?_

He felt an odd urge suddenly overtake him and turned his head toward one of the neighboring houses. It was now that he noticed the footprints leading from the graves to the house. Saitama briefly wondered if he had been wrong about Noriko visiting the graves, but something made him start walking toward the dwelling with his hands shoved into his pockets. He was not sure what he would do if she was there or how he would go about checking. If he peered in each of the windows, he would end up looking like a creep. If he knocked on the door, he would need to explain himself to the owner of the home. After weighing his options, he decided to simply try the door first in case Noriko was there and in some sort of danger.

The door opened easily once he applied a little force and he closed it behind him. _Where would she be? And where are the people that live here? I only see two pairs of shoes here, but this house is pretty big._ That was when he heard a soft sound from the second floor. A soft sound resembling a cross between a yowl and a moan. Instantly, his heart beat a little faster. Saitama considered turning around and going to find Genos, but once again something made him act differently. He walked up the stairs, following the sound of Noriko's quiet moans and Sonic's taunting voice. An anger started to build as he thought of what he would undoubtedly come across once he reached the source of the noise.

The bedroom door was ajar and he could see it from the hallway. She was sprawled beneath the ninja on a bed, her hands pinned above her head on the pillow and her head turned to the side as he drove himself into her. Saitama saw the man lean down to the side of her neck, pressing kisses on her pale skin. He saw Sonic's free hand move to her breast, squeezing it tightly and making her moan louder. Though he hated that she was in this situation, the sight of her in such a state caused a biological reaction in the hero. He shifted in discomfort, considering his options before finally pushing open the door.

Sonic immediately looked over and smirked. Noriko opened her mouth to say something, but the ninja muffled her words with his hand. "I was wondering how long you were going to just stand there watching. What, are you _jealous_? You shouldn't be too surprised, Saitama. Why would she want to go back to him when I give her this much pleasure? So now that you know, what are you going to do about it? She's not going to go back with you so you might as well leave. Unless you want to keep watching. I don't care. Go ahead and keep watching me fuck your disciple's girlfriend. It's probably the only time you'll ever see her look this happy-"

The hero lifted him by the back of his neck, a terrifyingly serious expression on his face. "Stay off of her. Don't you think that if you have to hold her down like that, maybe she doesn't want to do that with you?"

"Why do you care so much about his girlfriend anyway? Shouldn't this be between him and me? After all, she's just a cat to you. You've said it yourself." Sonic was able to get out of his hold when Saitama looked toward Noriko, hearing her duck beneath the blanket. He knew that he had limited time to get away and that getting her now would be near impossible; Saitama was not about to let him take her again.

Sighing in frustration, he walked over to where Noriko was curled up beneath the blanket and pulled it back. Saitama lifted her in his arms and turned toward Sonic with a look of slight satisfaction. "She isn't just a cat to me. She's my cat girlfriend." He leaned down and kissed the catgirl, feeling her warm body tense in his hold. _That should show him that I'm serious._

To both their surprise, the ninja was already gone. The girl's face flushed red and her ears flattened against her head. "S-Saitama, I'm…n-naked…and you just…kissed me…"

"Huh? Oh. Yeah, but it's not like the first time I've done that. And I mean, I've seen enough of you, it's kind of like I've already seen you naked." He acted calm on the outside, but on the inside he began to panic. _This is bad! This is really, really bad! I shouldn't be holding her when she's like this! I can see everything and my pants are starting to feel tight!_


	72. Chapter 72

The crisp winter air made her fur bristle, but she did not seem to mind. Koneko was just glad to be out of the apartment and doing something. Of course, simply patrolling the neighborhood did not mean that she would be able to fight monsters, but she knew that already. Adjusting her hold on Mumen Rider's back, she snickered. "Hey, do you think they'll be back soon? I want to know where my big sister went. You think she'll bring souvenirs?"

The hero was trying to focus on the snow covered street, but made an attempt to listen as well. After all, he was still a little nervous around the child. She sometimes looked at him in a way that reminded him of a cat about to pounce. When he suggested that they go out for a while, he had meant to run some errands. Though he simply could not resist indulging her wish to go patrolling as soon as they stepped outside. "I don't know. She might have been busy doing whatever she went to do. Noriko-san was pretty secretive about it."

"Hn. Sounds like my big sister. I just wish sensei and senpai didn't have to be gone, too." She grinned and hugged him tighter. "Not that you're not fun, Mumen Rider! You're pretty cool! Even if you're not as strong as sensei."

He frowned and bowed his head. It was difficult to hide Noriko's whereabouts from the child. Well, her alleged whereabouts. The news had been carefully avoided when they watched television and he was avoiding the inhabited parts of the city out of fear that someone would try to taunt Koneko. "Are you ready to go back yet, Koneko-san?"

"No way! The cold air feels good!" she replied, closing her eyes.

"I know, but we shouldn't stay outside for too long. Saitama wanted me to make sure you're okay. If you catch a cold, you can't fight monsters."

"Hn. You don't know that! I can still rip out their hearts and eat them, even if I have the sniffles! Are you _challenging_ me?"

Mumen Rider shook his head as the bicycle rolled along down the same road for the fifth time since they left the building. "Not a chance. But aren't you getting hungry? The sooner we have lunch, the sooner we can try those new ice cream flavors that we picked up."

Her tail whipped back and forth, ears perking forward at the thought of sweets. She sighed, giving up rather quickly. "Fine, but I want to talk to my big sister later! You have her phone number, don't you? Aren't you friends with her?"

"Er…yes. We're friends. We're just not really _close_ friends so I don't want to bother her on her special mission," he answered. "Saitama and Genos said that they were going to come back with her soon, though. I'm sure they're going to be home later today." His bicycle came to an abrupt halt, nearly throwing them both off of it.

The girl's arms tightened around his midsection and she snarled. "What the hell did you do that for?! You could've hurt us both!" She reached up to his cheek, pinching it for a moment before her light green eyes turned to the figure in the road ahead of them. It was a man that looked a little younger than Mumen Rider and he was wearing all white. What drew her attention were the slim feline tail and pointed ears atop his head. Raising an eyebrow, she subconsciously held onto her friend tighter. "He's like me. Or like big sister. Who is that?"

"Hold on tight, Koneko-san! We need to get away from here as fast as possible! If I get hurt, I want you to run, okay? Run back to the apartment or hide somewhere, but-!"

"I'm not leaving you here alone, you dork! Why would you think I'd do that?! I'm not a coward like Sonic-sensei!" She glared at the figure over her friend's shoulder and bared her fangs for a moment. "What do you want, huh? You're in our way so move your butt before I move it for you!"

The catman wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and smirked. Taking confident strides toward the pair, he looked them both up and down. "Huhuhuh! Who's this? Your little boyfriend, Project Koneko? Are you going to end up like your precious 'big sister'?"

" _You_! You creepy…perverted… _piece of trash_! Who do you think you are?! What are you trying to say about my big sister and who said you could talk about her?"

Mumen Rider tried to stop her from getting off of the bike, but she hopped down and started toward the catman. He remembered what Noriko had told him. Everything that she had said about Catman Scavenger. Under no circumstances was he to obtain the child. "Koneko-san, no! We have to leave!"

"You just don't want her to hear the truth. And who are _you_ anyway? Some low class hero that I probably haven't even heard of." Kenta crouched down to Koneko's eye level and gripped her throat. "You want to know about your 'big sister'? She's a _cow_. She's a _whore_. She sleeps around with heroes and flirts with every guy around her. But not _you_. You're still _pure_. You're still perfect in every way; just the way I made you."

To her absolute disgust, the man was drooling as his red eyes burned with something that made her stomach turn. Koneko scowled up at him and ran her sharp nails along the side of his face, eliciting a howl of agony from the man. "Perfectly _lethal_ , you trashy creep! If you think I'll let you talk about my big sister that way, you've got another thing coming! I'm going to tear you apart like I did the last time you pissed me off!"

Kenta smirked and pressed the tip of a claw to her right eyebrow before sharply dragging it down that side of her face. The cut ran down her eyelid, cheek, and jaw with blood oozing lazily from her pale skin. "You really think I'll let you get away with being an insolent little brat like last time? You have no idea how easy it would be to break you."

 **Shift P.O.V**

Noriko squirmed a little, wanting to be put down, but it seemed like her friend had no plans to let her down yet. She frowned, her face bright red as she looked at him from the corner of her eye. _I can't say that I'm not glad to see him. I'm glad that I was found. But what if he takes me back to prison? And I get that he picked me up like this to make Sonic leave, but did he really have to kiss me? That was…weird. Why did it seem like…?_ Her feline ears drew back, tail twitching in anxiety. "S-so where's Genos?"

"We split up to try to find you. I think he's still on the other side of town." Saitama looked down at her, attempting to ignore the fact that she was still naked and failing. "So we have some time before he gets here."

"Hn. Wh-what are you talking about?" She yelped when his hold shifted, her hands moving quickly to try to cover herself. _I know we're friends, but this still feels so weird! Why is he still holding me like this?!_

"Nya-chan, there's something that I keep wanting to tell you. I mean, it's pretty important. Well, it's important to me. You have to promise not to overreact."

"Wh-why would I overreact? What is it?" The catgirl was trying not to think about how one of his arms was pressing against her upper back while the other was behind her knees. She was trying not to think about how utterly helpless she felt and how difficult it was to cover herself in this position. Most importantly, she was trying not to think about how her friend had just seen her making love with his enemy.

Her bright green eyes widened when he leaned down, his face drawing nearer until their lips touched. It was soft, as if he was afraid of hurting her. _What is he doing though?! Why…why is he doing this? Is this really him?_ Her left ear twitched as she heard the door downstairs open. The kiss was broken by the hero turning his head to the doorway.

"Oh. Hey, Genos. Look who I found." Saitama held her up a little and then remembered the predicament that they were in. "Wait. This isn't-"

The blonde was standing in the doorway, staring at them with slightly narrowed gold and black eyes. "Master Saitama."

"G-Genos…" Noriko began to tremble as she instantly recognized the spark of jealousy in his face. Remembering what he had once told her, about how he would handle her dating someone else, the girl's shaking grew worse. _He wouldn't try to kill Saitama though! I know he wouldn't. So what is he…?_ She felt her heart skip a beat when he stepped inside and closed the door behind him. "Genos?"

"I understand. Master Saitama, you have reconsidered my offer that you previously rejected. That can be the only reason for this."

"What? Wait, are you-?" The catgirl yelped when Saitama shifted his hold again, her eyes closing tightly in embarrassment when she felt his warm breath over her exposed skin.

The hero stared back at him for a moment before smiling his usual dopey smile. "Sure. Who could pass this up, right?" he replied, lifting Noriko a little in his arms. "I mean, are you sure _you're_ okay with that though? You look pretty mad, Genos."

"No," the cyborg protested. "I do not like the thought of Noriko being with someone else that way, but if it is you, I am sure that it will be alright."

"You're handling this really well. I mean, look. I'm holding your girlfriend. She's not wearing any clothes. And you're okay with me joining you guys?"

 _Why are we having this kind of conversation? You're our friend! And before today, I didn't even think that you saw me as more than a cat! This is all just a little too much to handle, on top of being this exposed!_ She snapped her eyes open when she felt chilled metal fingers lifting her chin so that she faced Genos. "Hn. I-I think this should be thought out more," Noriko started to argue, but her words were smothered by his lips covering hers. _How?! How can he be so okay with something like this when he can barely handle it when I'm just talking to Mumen Rider?_ Her heart was racing in her chest when he turned her face toward Saitama. "I-I'm serious! Think about this, okay?! Just…stop and think…and let me get dressed because even if I was okay with this, there's no way I'd do that here!"

"Your face is so red right now, Nya-chan." Saitama leaned down to kiss the top of her head and smiled. "Okay, we'll talk about this more when we get home." He was about to put her down, but paused and looked toward the door. "Genos, you didn't bring anyone with you, right?"

"No, Master Saitama. I came here alone." He was able to feel it as well and soon Noriko's eyes narrowed on the door, too. "That pervert has come back for her."

"Hey, to be fair, I think I startled him and he ran outside naked so he might just be here for his clothes." Saitama's mouth twisted into a frown as he finally set Noriko down. From the corner of his eye, he saw her quickly dress and grab a small blade from beneath the pillow on the bed. "You want to fight him alone, Nya-chan?"

"I will not allow her to be alone with him again," Genos stated firmly. "I will fight him and get revenge for what he undoubtedly did to her."

Noriko pushed her way past them both and rushed out of the room, gritting her teeth in anger. _Like I'm going to let you protect me like I'm some kind of weakling! It's bad enough that I had to be in such a helpless position for so long and…then that whole mess with those two! If anyone here needs to blow off some steam in a fight, it's me!_ She was glad when she saw Sonic at the bottom of the stairs, but found herself desperately wishing that he was wearing clothes. Her cheeks burned red at the sight of his exposed skin, taking in every scar and every toned muscle. He was watching her, a grin slowly spreading across his face. "Hn. Weird for you to come back after running like a coward."

"I thought I made it clear. I said it enough times. I'm not letting you get away from me again, Noriko." Sonic's grey eyes shifted to the doorway that she had emerged through, seeing the two heroes glaring down at him. "You think that they'll be able to stop me? I'm not going to let anyone get between us."

Her tail curled at the end as she smirked. "Tough talk…coming from someone that's unarmed and _undressed_. What do you think you can do if they do interfere?"

"Yeah, I'm not getting near him when he's like that," Saitama spoke up. "Seriously. I'm not into guys. If you want to get near him, go ahead, Genos."

The blonde looked at the ninja for a moment before looking back to Saitama. "I do not want to get close, but I do not want Noriko to get close to him either."

She saw Sonic's grin and a growl began to form in her throat. "Alright, so I'm on my own, but I'm not weak! And at least I'm wearing clothes! Enough talking!" The girl brandished the knife in her hand and jumped down the stairs, launching herself at him. Somewhere at the back of her mind, she was fully aware of the fact that she would be unable to hurt Sonic. For multiple reasons. _I know he's too fast for me to hurt him and I know that hurting him makes me feel bad so what the hell am I going to do?! I can't just give in, even if I know that they won't let him take me! If I give in now, Genos will always think that I'm weak and that I need protecting!_

The blade thrust forward, but he dodged it easily and grabbed her wrist. Pulling her body to his, he leaned down to her feline ear. "What would they think if they knew what we did here? We've been doing it every day since you showed up at the prison. What do you think they would say about that?" he taunted, watching her face turn pink again.

Noriko twisted to avoid his arm wrapping around her, hissing in anger. His voice was low enough to go unheard by the others, but she feared what might happen if he spoke louder. "Stop talking and just fight me!" Her anger ignited when he shifted quickly to put an arm around her waist, drawing her back against his chest. She felt something pressing against the back of her thigh and growled when it started to grow stiff. "Just…what the hell do you think you're doing, you creep?!"

"I cannot allow this! Master Saitama, I am going to-!"

"Okay, that's enough of that." The hero jumped down to their level and grabbed Noriko's free arm. "You're being creepy. Just get your stuff and go, Sonic."

The ninja's grin returned full force. "What do you think I came back for? I came here for _her_. She's mine. Maybe you didn't see the mark I left on her neck."

"Huh? Oh, that ugly bruise? I thought it was just a rash or something."

"Master Saitama, I am going to incinerate him!" Genos announced, coming down the stairs. Despite his warning, the bald hero made no move to get out of the way.

The catgirl's tail whipped back and forth in fury as she thrashed to get out of both of their holds. She managed to break free and bolted through the open front door, wincing at the sharpness of the cold air. With no idea where she was going, the girl blindly ran down the snowy street with her heart racing. The bizarre and stressful events of the past day finally caught up with her and when she collapsed in the road, consciousness immediately left her.


	73. Chapter 73

It felt like she slept for a lifetime and when she finally opened her eyes, Noriko jolted to find that she was lying across her bald roommate's lap. She blinked up at him when he turned his attention away from the television and felt her face heating to a pinkish hue. _What's going on? We're in the apartment? Wait…was it a dream? Prison, Sonic, all of that. Was it just a dream?_

Saitama smiled down at her in a way that made her certain that the past days had been a dream. "What were you dreaming about, Nya-chan? You were making some weird noises."

"Hn…I don't know." She pushed herself to sit up and ran her fingers through her long violet hair. The fact that she was wearing her usual sleepwear of black shorts and a black tank top only further convinced her that it had been a dream. _The Hero Association wouldn't really put me in prison for defending people, right?_ Her ears twitched and she turned her head to find Genos and Koneko in the kitchen.

"See? Mumen Rider said I should give it to you! What's it made of? It broke off of him really easily, senpai!" the girl exclaimed, handing something to the cyborg.

To Noriko's horror, the object was shaped like an arm and wrapped in thick white cloth with a bit of dark oil bleeding through. "K-Koneko, what is that?! Where did that come from?"

"Big sister!" The smaller catgirl rushed over to hug her, grinning. "I was hoping you'd wake up soon! I haven't seen you in weeks because of that stupid mission you went on! But you're going to be so proud of me, big sister! Mumen Rider and I beat up that creep and I took his arm off to show you and sensei!"

"…weeks…?" She looked down at the child and then turned his gaze to Genos, who was examining the metal arm that he had been handed. _Wait. That arm. It has to be Kenta's! Was Kenta here at the apartment?! Where's Mumen Rider? And if what Koneko said was true then…all of that stuff…actually happened?_ Suddenly, waking up on Saitama's lap made her uneasy. Her face turned red and she rubbed the back of her head. "Hn. Hey. I'm going to get dressed and you can tell me about what happened on the way to the store, okay?"

"Huh? You want me to go with you, big sister? You don't want to go alone with senpai or sensei?" Koneko tilted her head cutely.

"Er…yeah. I'm sure. Just give me a second." Noriko moved quickly to gather a clean pair of black pants and a grey hooded sweatshirt, doing her best to avoid looking at Genos and Saitama. She did not want to think about who might have changed her into her pajamas. She was not even sure how long she had been asleep. _I couldn't have been out for too long_ , she thought as she stepped outside with Koneko. "So, did you want to tell me about what happened?"

"Yeah, I-!" She frowned and her tail curled at the end. "Mumen Rider! We should bring him with us! He was there too so he can remind me of the parts I might forget! Come on, I know where he lives!"

Yawning, she followed the child down the street. _Why do you know where he lives? Hasn't he come over every time he needed to babysit you? Well, at least this will take my mind off of Saitama and Genos for a while, right?_ A cold wind blew through her hair as they walked, sending it into disarray and causing goose bumps to rise on her skin. She bowed her head to avoid meeting the gaze of Mumen Rider when he joined them.

"Noriko-san, you look like you're feeling a lot better today," he greeted her.

"Hn? What did I look like yesterday?" she asked, genuinely puzzled.

"Well when Genos brought you into the apartment, you were unconscious. And then you had a fever yesterday. I suggested taking you to the hospital, but he said that you would be okay. Koneko-san was upset so we went out both days to try to take her mind off of it."

 _So I was out for two days. Did I have a cold or something? But I feel fine today. Maybe it was some sort of infection again?_ She chewed on her bottom lip as they walked to the convenience store, trying to think about what else to ask. It would be awkward to outright ask if things seemed different between her and her roommates. When Koneko wandered off to find some snacks, she finally looked at Mumen Rider and frowned. She had noticed a faint scar running down Koneko's face, but now that she saw the male hero she began to realize how serious the fight had been.

His glasses were cracked and held together in some places with tape. There was a thick pad of gauze taped over his cheek and his lower lip was split. It was obvious that it still hurt, but he was pushing the pain to the back of his mind. "I actually wanted to talk to you about something," he spoke up a bit awkwardly.

"The fight with Kenta, right? I'm sorry that you got dragged into it…but I really appreciate you keeping Koneko safe."

"Well, it was more like a team effort to defeat him. I tried to keep her from getting close to him and when he attacked her, she started to fight him. I hurried over to try to stop him from hurting her, but I ended up getting hurt." He pushed up his glasses, frowning. "She actually protected me from getting my chest cut open. So if anyone should be saying thanks, it's me. I know that his body is built of weak materials, but when it's intact he can actually do a lot of damage."

"She…protected you? She really has come a long way." She half-smiled and tucked her hands into her pockets. "Mumen Rider. Koneko must really like you to put herself in danger to protect you. During her rampage, I followed her from city to city and tried to stop her. She was killing men indiscriminately, you know. She _hated_ them. So for her to protect you…it just really shows that she's changing for the best."

He looked away, watching Koneko attempt to interact with a boy around her age. It seemed to be going well. "I think you've changed too, Noriko-san. In a good way, of course! I mean, when I first met you, you seemed like you didn't really want to talk to anyone. Even when I saw you with other heroes, it seemed like you were reluctant to be around them. I can tell that it's different now though. You're closer with Saitama and Genos. You even seem happier."

She crossed her arms and looked down at her boots, frowning. _Has he always been this perceptive?_ Her tail shifted behind her as she glanced toward the younger catgirl. "I just wish I could be more like Koneko. When she dislikes something, she's completely sure of it. And when she likes something, she likes it absolutely."

"Are we talking about Speed o' Sound Sonic?" Mumen Rider saw her tense up and shook his head. "Sorry. I was keeping up with the Hero Association paper. They said that your trial ended with them deciding you were innocent even though you weren't at the trial to defend yourself. Is it true that he broke out of prison and took you with him against your will?"

"I mean, I didn't want to go with him. And to be honest, he didn't exactly break us out; the doors were already opened by someone else."

They stood in silence for a few minutes as Koneko accepted a scrap of paper from the boy, her face turning a faint pink and her pale green eyes widening in wonder. "Um…just out of curiosity…how do you feel about Saitama?"

"Wh-what?! Why are you asking? Did he say something?"

He saw her face turning red and immediately knew that the bald hero had finally made some sort of move. "Well, he talks about you sometimes. Why? Did something happen?"

Noriko looked away again, hating the way that her cheeks burned. "He…kissed me. Twice. On the mouth." She could see it from the corner of her eye. Mumen Rider was smiling slightly and looked a little relieved. "You knew how he felt, didn't you?"

"I tried to tell him because he didn't seem like he knew how he felt. I didn't know if he'd ever say something to you." While he was relieved that Saitama had made some progress, he still felt a touch of anxiety when he recalled every time that Genos had glared at him simply for talking to Noriko. "Does Genos know?"

Her ears flattened in frustration and she sighed. "Y-yeah…and he doesn't seem to mind."

"You know, he sort of idolizes Saitama. Maybe he thinks that having Saitama like you is like complimenting him somehow?" His cellphone began to ring and he gave her an apologetic look before turning away to answer it. When the call ended, he called to Koneko that there was a job for them to do and the two left Noriko on her own.

As she paid for the groceries, she felt herself sighing in agitation. _Talking to him made me feel a little better, but now I have to go back to the apartment and face them. I have no idea how they think that this is going to work out. There's just no way! And to be honest, I have a hard time seeing Saitama as anything more than a friend._ She had intended to take her time getting home, but the cold air made her walk briskly and she soon found herself standing at the door to their apartment. The girl tilted her head, ears twitching forward as she heard movement on the other side of the door.

The doorknob turned and as the door swung open, the cyborg stared down at her in puzzlement. "Noriko, I was about to search for you. Mumen Rider called Saitama to say that he and Koneko-san went to fight someone. I do not think that you are well enough to fight yet. You are still recovering from your fever and-"

"But I _didn't_ go." She raised an eyebrow and held up the grocery bags. "I let them go by themselves. So can I come in now?"

"Yes. Allow me to carry those for you." The blonde took the bags from her and walked to the kitchen, listening for her to enter the apartment. When the door closed behind her, he felt himself relax a little. The past two days had been tense. He had collected Noriko from the street when she passed out while Saitama kept Sonic at bay. Bringing her home had proved to be easy enough, but there was definitely tension now that his mentor had made his feelings clear. Genos was trying to convince himself that it was alright. After all, his master liked his girlfriend. It was slightly flattering. "Are you cold, Noriko?"

She grimaced and glanced over her shoulder to see that her tail had puffed up from the frigid air outside. "I'm fine." Settling on the floor near the table, she looked at the television screen. _Anime. Have I seen this one before?_ The catgirl felt a warmth at her side and soon fingers were rubbing behind one of her feline ears. Her cheeks turned pink, a low purr issuing from the back of her throat. "Wh-what are you doing?"

"Huh? You've never had a problem with this before. Does it not feel good? Am I being too rough?" Saitama raised an eyebrow and leaned in a little closer. "Wait. Do you still have a fever?" He pressed his forehead against hers and snickered when she quickly pulled away with a blush. "What was that? Why are you so jumpy today? Did something happen when you went shopping?"

"N-no, I just…hn. It's just different. It just feels different…after…what happened in City G," she admitted, sighing. Her heart began to race when he put an arm around her shoulders, drawing her against his warm side. _What is he doing? Does he think that Genos will really be okay with this?_ To her further irritation, her feline instincts kicked in and she found herself rubbing her cheek against his hand while purring.

"Well, yeah. It would be weird if things weren't different. You're okay with this, right?" He saw her frown and then open her mouth to speak. "I mean, you don't dislike me, do you?"

The bald hero was looking at her expectantly now. Noriko slouched a little and shifted her eyes away from him. "N-no, I don't dislike you. It's just difficult to suddenly think of you differently. I didn't know how you felt…and I don't know how long you felt that way."

"I've felt that way for a while. I kept dropping hints and I even told Genos a couple of times, but you guys are pretty dense." Saitama could see that she was still blushing faintly. "So do you need help seeing me differently?"

"What? Um…I don't-" She suddenly found herself on her back, blinking up at him. His dopey smile was gone. His usual deadpan expression had been replaced with a serious one that made her heart skip a beat. _Why is he looking at me like that? I can't remember, but has he ever looked at me like this before?_

When the idea had come to him, he had not thought about how it would actually feel. She was staring up at him with wide green eyes, a little startled. Her shirt had come up a bit when he pushed her onto her back, exposing part of her pale stomach. The girl's long violet hair fanned out around her head on the floor. He leaned down, one hand shifting behind her to her lower back. "Your face is getting redder," he teased.

Noriko closed her eyes, not sure of how to feel. _We're friends, aren't we? We're still friends? It's not easy to go from being friends to…this sort of thing._ She felt his body lower against hers and tensed. He was moving slowly, carefully, as if he was afraid of hurting her. _The girl's heart beat a little faster when she felt his chest against hers. Why though? Why do you like me? You know more about me than Genos. You know every horrible thing that I've done. You've even seen it…in City G, when Sonic…But you still like me?_ Her hands subconsciously went to his chest, fists clenching the material of his shirt tightly "…Saitama…why…?"

"Master Saitama, what are you doing?" Genos stood over the two, feeling a horrific mixture of jealousy and curiosity. "If you were going to begin something like that, you should have told me. I would finished in the kitchen sooner."

"N-no, it's not-!" Noriko was glad when her friend pulled away from her, unsure of how she would have handled it if he tried to take it further.

"She's not ready for that, Genos. I guess maybe I should've said something sooner. It's probably going to take a while for you to see me differently, right, Nya-chan?"

The blonde stared at them both for a moment before settling beside the catgirl and rubbing behind her nicked ear. "We have time," he agreed. "I am taking Kenta's arm to Doctor Kuseno so it can be analyzed. This one seems to be made of a different material than the last one. The claws have been extracted from it and it feels lighter."

"Can I see it?" Saitama waited patiently beside Noriko and waited for Genos to retrieve the artificial body part from the kitchen. Taking it in his hands, his eyebrows immediately rose. "Genos, I'm pretty sure this is made of plastic."

"Hn. So who's making these body parts for him?" the girl asked, eyes half-closing when the cyborg resumed rubbing behind her ear.

"Whoever it is, they are using cheap materials. Master Saitama, I am sure that it cannot be plastic. Whoever is building bodies for Kenta to inhabit, they need to be stopped. Perhaps this time Doctor Kuseno will be able to discern who is helping Kenta and what their motive is."

"Okay, have fun. We'll be waiting for you," Saitama casually replied.


	74. Chapter 74

A week had passed and things were not becoming any easier. Noriko still struggled with the recent change in her relationship with her roommates and it seemed like more monsters were appearing every day. The Hero Association had no problem with sending her to fight the dog monsters and rat monsters, almost as if they expected it of her. _Like they think I need to prove to them that I'm not evil. Even though King testified in my favor at the trial. I needed this workout to take my mind off of all of that._

"What's wrong with her today? She was gone for over a month and now that she's back, she looks like she's going to kill someone," Charanko muttered.

"I'm concentrating!" she snapped, glaring at the boy over her shoulder. Her tail whipped back and forth in agitation. Noriko had gone to the dojo in hopes of forgetting about her problems. Not just her trouble with the sudden increase in monsters, but her problems with her roommates. Genos had gone out early that morning and she had decided to leave to train rather than be alone with Saitama. _It's not like he's being aggressive or anything. He's acting like he always does. But that's the problem! I can't react the way I used to now that I know how he feels! It's like I can't relax the way that I used to!_

"Focus on your own training, Charanko. I'm sure that Noriko has her reasons for disappearing without a word and making us worry."

She could hear the edge in the old man's voice and grimaced. Her green eyes narrowed as she continued to practice the motions he had taught her, determined to perfect them. It was better than considering her current situation. Anger coursed through her anew as she recalled the phone call she received from the Hero Association first thing that morning.

 _Kenta's family was found dead in their house today. His mom, his dad, his two brothers, and his sister. All of them are dead. This isn't what I wanted. This isn't the revenge that I had in mind._ The association's initial thought had been that Noriko had murdered them herself, but upon closer inspection it was determined that it could not have been her. The deaths had been caused by multiples cuts and blunt force trauma that were caused by a combination of knives and kicks. It had been decided that Sonic had broken out of prison with Noriko as his hostage and that he had slain the family as an unwanted favor for her. _They said it wasn't my fault. They said that no one will hold me responsible for their deaths. But he did that because of me! He knew that I wanted revenge against Kenta, but I never wanted innocent people to die!_

"Where's Genos today, Noriko? Is he busy?"

"Hn. Yes, sir. He went to fight a monster in City M." She paused in her movements and turned to look at the two martial artists. "Ah…I'm sorry if I seem like I'm in a bad mood. It's unprofessional to let personal things affect how I act around other people."

Bang shrugged. "Things happen. So why didn't you go with him? Did Saitama go?"

"No. Genos…didn't think it was safe enough for me to go with him," she replied awkwardly. The catgirl tightened her ponytail and saw Charanko giving her a curious look. "What? It's not like I'm _weak_! I would go with him if he would tell me where he was going! He ran off without me, okay?! And Saitama is back at the apartment and I didn't want to be alone with him so…"

"What? That weirdo makes you nervous or something?" Charanko taunted, putting his hands on his hips. "How does _that guy_ make you nervous?"

"I think that's enough for today, Noriko. I made some tea. Why don't you have some before you head home?" Bang suggested.

Going home was the last thing that she wanted to do, but Noriko conceded and went to change clothes. She had grabbed random clothes from near her bag and when she went to join the others, she hoped that they would not notice her outfit. The black jeans were normal enough, as was the plain white t-shirt, but she had mistakenly grabbed Saitama's hooded sweatshirt instead of her own. Her coat had hidden it when she first arrived, but the dojo was too warm to wear her coat in now. She let her hair down, running her fingers through the dark violet locks to untangle it as she started toward the small table where the other two sat.

"Pft! Where did you get that sweatshirt? And what kind of girl wears something that says 'oppai'?" the boy scoffed.

"Is that Saitama's shirt?" Bang poured out cups of tea and raised an eyebrow.

Her ears drew back a little, her cheeks pink with embarrassment. "Hn. Y-yeah. He left it near my bag so I mistook it for mine." She lifted the tea to her lips and let her gaze drift to the door. W _hat kind is this? It tastes pretty good. Better than that stuff Koto made me drink._

"Uh, you're not sleeping with that guy, right?" Charanko jumped a little when she started to choke on her tea. "Wait, are you? What kind of reaction is that?"

"I-I'm not! We're just friends!" she argued. _I think. I thought. I don't even know anymore!_ Ruffling her hair, she sighed in frustration. "Can I…um…can I ask for some advice?"

The boy's face turned red. "Don't ask anything weird! If you need guy advice, try asking the other girl heroes!"

She awkwardly looked back to her cup of tea, her tail's tip flicking back and forth. _I've never even spoken to another girl hero. Who would I even talk to?_

 **Shift P.O.V**

"Oh, hey. So how was the fight?" Saitama greeted Genos as the blonde walked into the apartment. He was lying on his back on the floor, a manga in his hands. He had been waiting for Noriko's return from her trip to the dojo. When she abruptly left, he had worried that she might be angry, but when he saw her take his sweatshirt it had made him feel better.

Genos closed the door behind him and looked around the sitting room. He turned to look in the kitchen and then set his gold and black eyes upon his mentor. "Where is Noriko? Doctor Kuseno was able to discern what material Kenta's arm was made of and I wanted to tell her."

"It was plastic, wasn't it? It felt like a plastic figure."

"Yes, it was a cheap form of plastic. There were no fingerprints on the limb besides Koneko's so he was unable to run a search for the creator that way, but it is believed that whoever is building the body parts for Kenta is skilled despite working on a budget."

Saitama snickered and set his manga aside. "Budget body parts, huh? But at least you know he's weak."

"No necessarily. Master Saitama, his body is made of weak materials, but he seems to have a certain amount of skill when fighting. Where is Noriko?"

"Oh, right. She said she was going to train with Bang for a while today." He pushed himself to sit up and rubbed the back of his head. "Do you think she's avoiding me?"

Remembering how the two of them had sat together watching anime the previous day, with him rubbing behind her feline ears and her rubbing her cheek against his, Genos frowned. "I do not think that she is avoiding you. I will go pick her up from the dojo."

"Uh, are you sure? I mean, what if she wants us to just leave her alone for right now?" The bald hero stood now and yawned. "Want to go see Koneko? The old lady said they were going to have some beef for us the next time we stop by."

"Master Saitama, I really think that I should go-" Genos quieted upon hearing his mentor's rington. "It can wait."

"Cool. Oh. I know this number." With an amused smile, he answered the phone. "Hey, Kenta. I heard that you got your arm torn off by a little girl."

"Huhuhuh! You think I can't replace it?! I'm above you and that _cow_ Hinyako! I'm better than flesh and blood and I'm better than that boyfriend of hers!" The villain cackled in his obnoxious way. "She's not even there right now, is she?"

"Huh? No, she went to go do something."

"More like some _one_." Kenta snorted and it sounded rather unseemly. "I'm surprised you're not taking advantage."

"What're you talking about?" Saitama frowned a little when Genos walked over, the cyborg clearly bothered by what was going on.

"You don't know? You _really_ don't know? I can't believe it! That _imperfect cow_ really didn't tell her own friends! Huhuhuh! You don't know _anything_ about catgirls!"

The blonde took the phone from him now and scowled. "What are you referring to? And how could anyone know about catgirls when Noriko and Koneko are the only ones?" he demanded. Saitama drew close to his side, half out of worry for his phone and half out of curiosity. "Now tell me in twenty words or less what you are talking about!"

"Catgirls go into heat every three months." Kenta paused to snicker, knowing that the other cyborg was alarmed. "It only lasts a week, but if I remember right, she gets really wild when it hits her. I'm surprised she would leave on her own; I'm pretty sure she keeps track of her heat cycles. Well, have fun while she's still alive."

The phone clicked as Kenta hung up and Genos nearly crushed it in his hand. Giving it back to Saitama, he silently went over the information that had been presented to him. "Clearly he does not know about what happened in City G. We must bring Noriko home before he learns about his family's deaths and targets her."

"Wait. His family's dead?"

"Yes. The Hero Association contacted me this morning to inform me of their deaths in City G. It is believed that Speed o' Sound Sonic murdered them as an unwanted favor to Noriko when he was holding her hostage. If Kenta hears of this-"

"Alright, so let's go. The sooner we get to her, the better, right? I'm more concerned about that heat thing he was talking about. She's never acted like that before."

"She has not been with us for over three months," Genos reminded him.

"And she's at Bang's dojo right now. Imagine if she started acting weird around Charanko." The thought made him laugh for a few seconds, but soon it started to almost worry him. "Okay, so we'll just go get her. She's probably done for the day anyway."

 **Shift P.O.V**

The stairs to the dojo always annoyed her. Though she could understand having them for training purposes, Noriko found them quite irritating when she was simply trying to get home. Her tail curled at the end as she breathed in the cold air, letting a sense of calm settle in. Talking with Bang seemed to prove more fruitful than when she asked other people for advice. _He said to just give it time and see how I really feel about Saitama. And he's right; I'm sure Saitama will understand if I just can't see him as more than a friend._

The memory of the bald hero's body against hers made her face turn pink as she walked down the road. When she had been under him, she began to at least view him as more than just her blank-faced roommate. It made her realize that he was a man and when she had touched his chest, she felt hard muscle. _Why does that make my heart beat a little faster? It's just Saitama. I mean…I saw him naked once. A few days after I moved in, I accidentally walked in on him in the bath. I didn't feel like this then._ She felt her body beginning to grow warm and the heat seemed to be originating from her lower half. The girl's lips curved into a frown as she shook her head, unable to believe that she was having such a reaction. _Why am I getting worked up like this thinking about Saitama? It's crazy._

Noriko's ears twitched and she leaned to the right just in time to avoid being stabbed by a shuriken. Turning slightly, she looked over her shoulder to find a figure in the road behind her. The heat in her body started to grow as her sharp green eyes met the grey ones of a certain ninja. Her heart raced as she turned toward him, one hand moving to the strap that held her sword sheaths on her back. He was dressed casually, as if he had been running errands and came upon her by coincidence, but the fact that he was armed made her question this. "What do you want?" she snarled, trying not to show that simply looking at him was making her warm.

"You're really asking me what I want? I want _you_. I thought I made that clear." Sonic saw the way blood rushed to her cheeks and it made him smirk. "What? Does just looking at me make you hot now?" he taunted. He took a few steps toward her and saw her backing away. It irked him almost as much as seeing her wear Saitama's sweatshirt. "Where do you think you're going? Do you think you can run away again?" He was suddenly right in front of her, gripping her wrist to prevent her from grabbing one of her swords. Sonic's face drew close to hers and he saw her blush red. He watched her squirm to try to get free and then saw her thighs rubbing together. "Wait a second. I am, aren't I? I'm turning you on without even doing anything."

"Sh-shut up! Let go of me! I just want to go home; I don't want to fight you today, Sonic!" Noriko tugged at her arm, trying to free herself. _Damn it! So much has been happening since I moved to City Z that I forgot about these stupid cat tendencies! Why does my heat cycle have to start right now?! I felt fine earlier! Did he trigger it somehow?_

"We can skip the fighting and go straight to what you want then," he taunted, leaning down so his face was close to hers. "I didn't get my payment for avenging your family."

Now reminded of the horrific massacre of Kenta's innocent family, she started to growl lowly. "I-I never asked for you to do that!"

"You didn't have to; I _know_ you. I know what you want, Noriko." His lips covered hers and was pleasantly surprised when her body closed the distance to press against his. He wrapped an arm around her waist in case she changed her mind and closed his eyes to enjoy her warmth.

 _I shouldn't be alone with him! Especially not when I'm like this! Damn it! If I'd stayed at the dojo and just waited, Genos would have come to pick me up. Why didn't I just wait?!_ Her hands pressed against his chest in a halfhearted attempt at pushing him away, but when she felt the bulge in his pants pressing between her legs, she felt all of her resistance start to slide away. Since becoming part cat, Noriko had experience four heat cycles a year and each time, she was on her own with whatever Kenta left for her. She wondered how it might be to spend a cycle with an actual person. _I can't though. Not with Sonic. But if I go home…what if something happens with Saitama?_

Sonic broke the kiss and smirked down at her when he felt her hips grind against his. "Are you going to come with me, Noriko?"

"I…don't want to…" she muttered, the heat intensifying. The girl's nails dug into his back when he leaned down to her neck, leaving small bites on her pale skin.

"You know you want to. I know that you missed me. I know what you want and I know that I'm the only person that can really give you what you want."


	75. Chapter 75

NeonHorizon: Hn...just wanted to take a second to say something. I want to express how much I appreciate the reviews you leave; they really make my day. Seriously. When I get off work and check my emails to find your kind words, it really cheers me up. And the fact that you've been with me for 75 chapters now really makes me feel happy. Ah. Right, so the days of 1/10/2017-1/18/2017 will be without update because I'll be busy with a different project. I have a lot of ideas for upcoming chapters so look forward to those. Quick special shoutout to someone special that leaves sweet reviews frequently. Thank you, MonaTheGreat. You're awesome. Well, you're **all** awesome. But they've shown some special dedication with all of their reviews. This chapter's special so I hope you guys like it.

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Things escalated quickly once Noriko's instincts took over. She was not sure how she had ended up on top of Sonic in the snow on the side of the road, but she suddenly found herself there. Her tail twitched as she stared down at him, her green eyes skimming over his smug expression and the bite marks on his neck. "Why do you like that?" she asked bluntly. "Doesn't it hurt? My fangs are sharp."

"It feels good," he argued with a smirk. His hands were on her hips, keeping her pressed close against him. Leaning up, he nipped at her bottom lip and felt the girl grind down on his lower half. It was a little confusing, but at the same time he was glad that she was being more compliant than usual. He had expected her to put up more of a fight. Instead, Noriko seemed to be more attracted to him. She was reacting differently and even as she stared down at him with a frown, he could see lust clear in her eyes. Dragging her back down into the snow with him, he turned them so that he was on top. "Want to take this somewhere private?"

"D-don't just assume-!" Her back arched and she bit her lip to silence a moan when she felt his warm breath on her neck. "Wait…don't…" His lips moved over her chilled skin, warming it briefly before biting down. It was gentle, but it caused a subconscious reaction in the catgirl. Her mouth opened and a soft yowling moan escaped her. _What is this?! Why does that feel so good?_ She threaded her fingers into his hair, her heart hammering. His teeth scraped over her skin for a moment, pushing his body tightly against hers before biting again. "Ngh! S-Sonic, don't do that!"

"You like it, don't you? Doesn't it feel good?" he taunted, licking one of the bites. "We should take this back to my base where we won't be interrupted. I'm not sharing you with anyone today, Noriko."

She growled and twisted so that she was on top again, straddling his waist. Her tail moved side to side anxiously as she glared down at the ninja. "I'm not going that easily."

He raised an eyebrow, smirking in amusement. "You want to do it here? Are you feeling brave today or is it just that you can't wait?" Rolling his hips into hers, he shuddered in pleasure. What he wanted most was to get her alone and receive his payment. Of course, he had no intention of letting her get back to her roommates afterwards. Especially after she reacted so pleasantly to his advances. Her legs were to either side of his waist, her covered opening pressing against his groin. He could feel the heat of her flesh through the fabric of her jeans and his pants. It seemed to magnify his lust and it was quickly becoming unbearable.

"I'm not-!" Noriko cut herself off with a sharp yelp as she was lifted by the back of her coat and pulled away from the dark-haired man. Turning her head, she found Saitama holding the black material of her coat and Genos standing near the road. The hero that was gripping her coat gave her a dopey smile that made her heart skip a beat. _Wait. Why do I find that cute suddenly?! Is this really what it's like to be in heat around guys?_

"Found you," he said playfully. Saitama planted a soft kiss to her cheek and looked toward Sonic. The ninja was standing now and glaring at the heroes with unbridled rage. "Oh. Hey, Sonic. Were you walking Nya-chan home? That's sweet, but we'll take it from here."

"What makes you think I'm done with her? Maybe you didn't see it just now; she was on top of me because she wanted to be there. Just ask her. She'll tell you that she's coming with me." Sonic's grey eyes shifted to Noriko and he grinned. "Did she tell you that she hates me? Or did she tell you the truth and you just can't accept it?"

Saitama raised an eyebrow and lifted Noriko over his shoulder. "I don't really know what you're talking about, but it's cold outside. Nya-chan's tail is all puffed up so I'm taking her home. Genos, are you coming with us or-?" He was cut off by the cyborg moving in front of him to stop a shuriken from stabbing Noriko. "Huh? Hey, you could've hurt Nya-chan."

"Master Saitama, I will take care of this. Please get Noriko home safely. I will try to return soon." The blonde kept his eyes locked on Sonic as the ninja grinned. "Do you think that you will get away with trying to hurt my girlfriend?"

" _Your_ girlfriend? Are you sure about that? I'm pretty sure I've heard Saitama call her his girlfriend at least twice now," Sonic taunted.

"Okay, well we're leaving. See you later." Saitama set off down the road, holding onto Noriko tightly enough that she would not fall yet loosely enough that she would be comfortable.

Her face was bright pink as he carried her home, trying not to think about how they would be alone for an undetermined amount of time. _I shouldn't be getting this excited about Saitama though! It's just because I'm in heat, right? But what if that isn't it?_ The feeling of his arm wrapped around her sent pleasant shivers down her spine. He felt warm even through the fabric of his shirt. Her tail twitched side to side and she closed her eyes. "…I'm sorry…"

"About that thing with Sonic? Don't worry about it; I know what's going on this week. That creep Kenta called and said that you were in your heat cycle." He felt her squirming on his shoulder a little and smiled. "I guess we should probably stay home all week, right? I mean, if we don't want that to happen again."

"Y-yeah. I guess." Noriko was glad when they got home, but the second that they sat down to watch anime together, she began to feel anxious. She toyed with the end of her tail and kept her head bowed to hide her blush as numerous thoughts passed through her head. Numerous thoughts that could be construed as dirty. She glanced toward him and felt her heart beat faster when she saw him look at her. "Sorry that you're stuck here with me. You probably wanted to fight Sonic."

"Not really. He's starting to get annoying." He stared for a moment, examining her expression. It was clear that she was trying to hide the way she was blushing and it was actually rather cute. What really drew his attention though was the way she toyed with the end of her tail and the fact that she was still wearing his hooded sweatshirt despite already discarding her coat. "So what's it like being in heat? Is it like actually overheating?"

"Wh-why would you…? Hn. It's like…ugh. It feels like being really warm and like wanting something, but…it's hard to get enough even if you get what you want. Er…I guess maybe like being hungry and finding it difficult to get full?" That wording made her blush grow more intense and she sighed in frustration. "It's just _weird_. Humans shouldn't go into heat and it's just really embarrassing that this is even happening! Everything I feel gets magnified in the worst way! If it just hurt, it wouldn't be such a big problem, but everything feels too good!" Ashamed that she had said so much, she bowed her head and her ears drew back.

"I don't get why feeling good would be a problem. Well, maybe when you're dealing with someone like Sonic." Saitama smiled and reached over to rub beneath her chin. She purred and rubbed her cheek against his hand, her tail curling at the end in delight. The girl fell across his lap and continued to rub her cheek against him. "So that's really what it's like? Like it's hard to be satisfied? I guess that would be frustrating." He watched her writhe on his lap, her eyes half-closed in bliss. "You know, I could help you if you want."

"Hn…? What do you mean?" She felt his other hand slip beneath the hem of the sweatshirt and her t-shirt, his fingertips warm against her skin. "Saitama?" Her eyes snapped open fully when she found herself on her back on the floor, his fingers moving further up her abdomen. _What is he doing? I told him that everything's magnified, didn't I? This feels too good…_ She yowled quietly when the warmth of his skin permeated her sports bra and her back arched. "Wh-what are…doing…?"

"So do you want my help? You know, I don't get tired that easily so I can keep going until you feel better," he stated. His expression was serious, his dark brown eyes staring into her green ones intensely. "But if you'd rather not, that's fine. Genos will be back later so you could just wait for him."

Though her cheeks were burning with shame, she found her heart pounding with excitement. The feeling of his hand on her breast paired with the rush of arousal at the wording of his offer made her act on instinct. Noriko reached up without thought and drew his face to hers, her lips crushing against his. He smiled into the kiss and shifted her onto the futon before dragging her shirt and sweatshirt off of her. _I'm doing this. I'm really doing this. With my friend. But I can't help it! If he wasn't so sweet about this…if his body didn't feel so good…maybe I could just ignore my feelings and wait it out. But I can't resist this now!_

The male hero leaned down to kiss her again as they both moved to unbutton her jeans. Their fingers touched and she quietly moaned at the skin on skin contact. Her tail was shifting as her anticipation grew. He broke the kiss a second time to pull off her pants and sat back for a moment to look at her. Of course, he had seen her mostly uncovered before, but this was different. She was blushing and panting from the kiss. All of her scars were on display for him and he found himself starting to frown a little. "I'm going to try to be careful, okay? If it starts to hurt, let me know right away. I don't want to end up breaking you."

"Hn….o-okay." Nervousness settled in the pit of her stomach when he started to undress. _I forgot how well built he is. Damn it. I've never thought of him this way before today, but now that I am, it's like I can't stop thinking about it._ Noriko leaned up and let him pull off her black sports bra before slipping off her matching panties. Her heart felt like it would beat out of her chest when they were both finally bare. _Okay. This is really happening. I'm really about to do this with my friend. Things will never be the same between us after this. But I can't just-!_

He slid a hand between her legs, gently rubbing her warm flesh. Her back arched, a moan forcing its way from her lips. "Whoa. You really are super sensitive today. That was pretty loud. Are you going to try to be quiet when we start?"

"I-I don't…think I can…" She closed her eyes, focusing on the sensation of two fingers sliding between her lower lips. "S-Saitama, stop teasing me…please…"

"Are you sure you want me to do this? I'm going to try to be careful, but something might happen. I haven't tried this with anyone since I got this strong. I don't know what might happen if we do this," he said, drawing his fingers out of her. "You're really wet though. It'll probably make this easier, right? So you're sure about this, Nya-chan?"

"I-I'm sure. I…want this. And if it hurts, I'll tell you," she replied. Noriko tilted her head when she saw him smile. "Wh-what?"

"Your boobs look pretty nice when you're wearing a shirt, but they look great without one," he answered, leaning down to kiss her. He carefully pulled her legs up, wrapping them around his waist before he pushed the head of his member into her warm core. She squirmed a little, gripping his shoulders tightly as he slid into her inch by inch. When he was sheathed in her warm, wet entrance he finally broke the kiss. "Wow. You feel awesome. It's really warm."

"D-don't say embarrassing things like that," the girl snarled, digging her sharp nails into his shoulders. _Why does it feel like he's bigger than Sonic or Genos?! Am I just really that sensitive right now? It feels…I feel really full…_ When he started to draw out a little, she felt her heart skip a beat. She tried to relax her muscles, tried to remain calm, but when he suddenly thrust back into her it had her world spinning. "Hnyaaaah! S-Saitama~"

"You're really tight. It feels better than I thought it would. It doesn't hurt, right?" The man's lips brushed the side of her neck as he started to slowly push in and out of her. "How do you feel?" While he was concerned with her comfort, he was also enjoying himself. Her wet muscles were clenching his cock tightly and each time he slid back, he felt like her opening was trying to keep him from leaving. "Are you always this tight?"

She gasped, feeling him push in particularly hard. True to his word, their activities were having no toll on his stamina. He let his hands wander down from gripping her legs, one hand moving to massage her right breast while the other went behind her head to cradle it. "Ngh! It feels…it feels really good, but…you're…um…"

"What? Am I going too fast? Too slow? Because I can go faster if you want. I kind of want to anyway." Saitama felt her heart racing beneath his fingertips and he smiled again.

"You're…kind of big…" she muttered, turning her face to the side. The girl's cheeks were red, one fang biting into her bottom lip as she felt his smirk. "D-don't…um…"

"I'm big?" he repeated with amusement. Leaning down to her feline ear, his body drew tight against hers. He had been thinking about this for a number of weeks, imagining what it would feel like if he were to actually act on his feelings for her. As expected, his imagination could not measure up to reality. Her back arched, her breast pushing against his palm as he increased his pace a little. The friction of her slick muscles around his cock was almost too much to handle. "I'm going to try something."

"Wait, what are you-?" Noriko felt his hand slide down from the back of her head, trailing down her spine to the spot just above her tail. "Saitama, you shouldn't-!" A loud moan left her as he rubbed the area. The heat between her legs grew almost painful and her hips snapped up to meet his as he thrust into her. "Ngh! D-damn it! I've…never felt this full before! You can't just…fill me up this much and…and then touch my special spot!"

"That's your special spot? I thought _this_ would be." He thrust in harder, striking the head of his member against a sensitive area within her. The yowl that left her lips sent a rush of euphoria through him and he found his speed picking up. Saitama could feel her muscles beginning to gradually spasm around him, nearing her climax. He covered her mouth with his and pounded his hips into hers, ignoring the way that the floor seemed to almost tremble beneath them. She clenched around his member, a wave of warm wetness coating him. He leaned back a little and smiled down at the girl. "Wow. Did I just make you come? That felt really good."

Noriko panted, red-faced as she looked up at him. "S-Saitama…that was…" It would be awkward to tell him that it was one of the most powerful climaxes she had ever experienced. It had felt like a wave of fire washed over her whole body, caressing her skin and sending sparks of ecstasy throughout her. She was seeing stars from the experience and when she finally found her voice again, it came out raspy from moaning and panting. "Th-thank you."

"What? We're not done yet. I didn't even get to come. Wait. It doesn't hurt, right? If it does, then we can take a break for a while."

"No, it didn't hurt, but shouldn't we finish soon? If Genos comes back and sees this-"

"If he comes back, he'll just want to watch. You know how he is. Besides, I really want to keep going. You said that it's hard to be satisfied when you're in your heat cycle, right? So we'll keep doing this until you feel satisfied and then we can take a nap. Doesn't that sound good?" He kissed her again, but this time with a little more force. The girl writhed under him and he moved his lips against hers more passionately. They were far from done.


	76. Chapter 76

NeonHorizon: Hnn...here's a quick PSA about cold weather safety. Coming from experience. Wear gloves if you're scraping ice off a car windshield or if you're handling ice or snow in other ways. Wear gloves. Seriously. I got a touch of frostbite on my right hand and I think it did some sort of nerve damage. Wear gloves in the winter. Don't be dumb. And if you think you have frostbite, or even suspect it, you should look into it and seek treatment ASAP to prevent further damage. That's all. Oh, look. More smut~

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She was unsure of how much time had passed. Her throat hurt, her voice raspy from all of the sounds that she made. Gripping tightly to her friend, Noriko nuzzled her cheek against the side of his neck. She briefly wondered when Genos would be back and how long they had been engaged in their activities. The catgirl was currently on his lap with the hero grinding his hips up and against hers. Her heart was racing, cheeks tinted pink with a warm blush, as her hands wandered to trail her fingertips over his hard muscled chest. "Hn…you…um…you really don't get tired, do you?" she asked, still amazed that he seemed full of energy. The only time he faltered even slightly was when his climax came and even then it was only for a few seconds.

"It doesn't hurt, right?" Saitama felt somewhat worried, still not sure of just how durable she was. He knew that he was being rougher the longer that they went. The floor had small cracks in it where they had started and he could see faint bruises forming on her hips from where he held onto her.

"N-no, but…you're really not the least bit tired?" she asked, worried that he might be pushing himself. _I've seen his strength before in fights with monsters, but I didn't think about that strength being applied to something other than fighting. How does he have such great stamina?_ She felt his thrusts grow harder and resisted the urge to sink her fangs into his shoulder.

"No, I'm fine. This feels great. Let me know if you need a break though, Nya-chan."

Biting her lip, she nodded against the side of his neck. Her fingertips traced over the toned muscles of his chest, the feeling of his warm bare skin filling her with a strange giddiness. He was striking deeper into her now, holding her down to keep her from lifting her hips as he hammered up and into her. Ragged gasps and moans left her lips, the girl's arms wrapping tightly around his neck as a climax washed over her. The muscles of her opening clenched his member and she muffled a surprised yelp when she felt his warm seed spilling into her.

He leaned back against the wall, moving his hold from her hips to wrap his arms around her waist in a hug. She was panting against the side of his neck and the warm air was pushing him further into arousal. Her breasts felt soft against his chest, her toned thighs to either side of his waist and her lips brushing his skin as she tried to catch her breath. "At this rate, we're never going to get to that nap," he joked.

"Hn. Look, it doesn't hurt, but I really do think we should take a break. If Genos comes back and sees us like this…" Noriko's body tensed in his hold when her feline ears picked up the sound of footsteps in the corridor outside the apartment. _Damn it! We have to hurry and-!_ She yelped loudly when Saitama drew out halfway and pushed back into her.

His hand found the spot above her tail and caressed the soft skin there, loving the way that she bucked her hips into his in response. "That's a pretty powerful reaction, Nya-chan. You really like it that much?" he teased her. The catgirl's mouth pressed tightly to his neck, trying to muffle the sounds that threatened to escape her. "Anyway, if neither of us are tired then shouldn't we keep going? I can tell that you're not satisfied yet and I'm not ready to quit."

The apartment door opened and Genos stared at them for a moment, his expression blank. The blonde's girlfriend was straddling his mentor's waist and neither of them were clothed. He was certain that if he could blush, his face would be bright red. Reaching behind him, he locked the door and kept his eyes fixed upon what was happening in the sitting room. "Master Saitama, I have returned. Can I ask why you and Noriko are in that position?"

Saitama turned his head to look at him as Noriko buried her face in his shoulder to hide her blush. "Are you asking why we're in this position or why I'm having sex with her? Because we started in a different position, but I thought her back might start to hurt."

 _Why are you just talking calmly?! He's going to be mad! He's going to be so mad! You've seen how he acts when Mumen Rider talks to me so why would you think that he'd be okay with us doing this? This was a horrible idea!_ She bit the inside of her cheek and dug her fingertips into Saitama's back. "Genos, I…ah! Ngh! G-Genos-!"

"Hey, why are you saying _his_ name right now, Nya-chan?" The hero shifted a hand to lift her chin so she looked at him. He smirked faintly and pressed a kiss to her lips.

"Master Saitama, I did my best to persuade him to leave Noriko alone, but I am sure that he will harass her again," Genos said, as if the blunt fact would somehow snap the two out of their activities. When only Noriko looked over, and even then for just a few seconds, he felt his anger building. "I am not alright with what is happening here."

"Genos, you don't have to be here for this," Saitama stated. "You can wait outside if this bothers you, but I promised Nya-chan that we'd do this until she's satisfied. I'm just helping her with her heat cycle. If it really bothers you that I'm helping her, then just don't look."

Noriko closed her eyes, her heart hammering with anxiety as she imagined the expression on her boyfriend's face. _I can't believe this is happening! I shouldn't have done this! I should've said 'no'! But it feels so good and it's never felt this full before!_ She threw her head back and moaned softly when he struck that particular spot deep inside of her. Euphoria rushed through her veins and she arched her back, her feline tail curling at the end.

"I am not bothered that this is happening. I am bothered that you started this while I was gone. I said that I would share Noriko with you, but I did not mean that this could happen without me being present. Master Saitama, I am pleased that you share my taste ingirls, but I am not alright with you acting behind my back."

"So what do you want? We're kind of in the middle of this and I'm not ready to stop."

The blonde appeared conflicted for a moment before taking on a look of determination. "I will join you. I am sure that there are many different ways that I can become part of this."

"Okay and how do you think that's going to work out? We're good the way we are and I'm not into guys, Genos."

"I will find a way to join you. Noriko, is it alright if I-?"

"N-no! I'm…I'm done with this, Saitama. This is just too awkward now." Noriko slid off of him and sat with her back to her roommates, wrapping her arms around herself. _That was beyond awkward! And what was Genos planning to do?! Do I even want to know?_ She grabbed her clothes and started for the bathroom, but her wrist was caught by the cyborg. "Hn. Just let me go. I need a bath," she muttered, refusing to look at him.

"I will go with you," he determined. "I want to make up for not being there for you earlier." The blonde leaned down to kiss the top of her head, knowing that his mentor was watching them. He intended to get his time with her, but from the way she frowned he was beginning to suspect that it may be a while.

"I just want to be alone. Please." Noriko pulled free and went into the bathroom, locking the door. _I know that won't keep him out though. If he really wanted to get in, he could break the lock. He's done it before._ She ran her bath and sighed in frustration as she watched the hot water's level rise. When it was filled and she had washed away the worst of her sweat and mess, she gleefully sank into the tub and let the heat envelope her.

 **Shift P.O.V**

He refused to speak to Saitama until the man put on some clothes and when that finally happened, he was unsure of how to address the problem. "Did Noriko ask for you to do that?" he finally inquired, sitting at the computer so that he could avoid eye contact.

"Are you asking if I forced her to do it? Do you really think I'd do something like that, Genos?" Saitama frowned and tried to look at the screen over his shoulder. "What are you doing anyway? That's a blank screen."

"I know that you would not force yourself on her, but did she ask you to satisfy her?"

"Huh? Oh. I get it. You think she likes me, right?" The hero smiled, his reflection in the screen showing it to Genos. "It was my idea. I asked her what it felt like to be in heat and she said that it was like being hungry and not being able to get full. I just thought that since I don't get tired easily that I could do it until she felt satisfied."

"I do not tire easily," Genos immediately protested. "I am just as capable of satisfying my girlfriend, Master Saitama. When I said that I would share her with you, I did not-"

"I know. You said that part already. Look, I didn't mean for it to happen. It just sort of did. Are you mad at us?"

"I am not angry; I am disappointed. Please refrain from sleeping with my girlfriend behind my back in the future." He seemed satisfied when Saitama agreed to his terms, but then something else began to bother him. _If Noriko is in heat, then that means that during the cycle if she sleeps with someone it is similar to a cat mating._ His gold and black eyes shifted to the man still standing behind him. Saitama's deadpan expression reflected on the screen now, tilting his head when he realized that he was being watched. "Master Saitama, when you reached your climax, you did pull out of her, correct?"

"Uh…huh? No, I came in her. Why?" he asked, completely oblivious.

Genos switched the computer screen on and began running a search on feline heat cycles online. "During an animal's heat cycle, they are more likely to become pregnant."

"Okay. But Nya-chan's only part cat. She's mostly human."

"Yes, but that does not mean that it is impossible for her to-"

"Oh…oh! I get it now. Uh. So what are the chances if we did it more than five times and I didn't pull out any of those times?" Saitama inquired, rubbing the back of his head.

 **Shift P.O.V**

Noriko stepped out of the bathroom feeling refreshed and content. As much as she hated to admit it, her actions with Saitama seemed to have satisfied her heat-induced lust. When she entered the sitting room, she tilted her head at the concerned looks that her roommates gave her. "Hn. Do I have soap bubbles in my hair or something?" They remained silent and it sent a chill up her spine when Genos stood. "Ah. So I'm going to make dinner early. Any requests?" There was no response.

Now feeling incredibly uneasy, she walked to the kitchen and tried not to think about how they were both staring at her. _Are they planning something? I heard them talking when I was in the bath, but it was muffled so I can't be too sure what they were saying._ Her attention shifted to dinner as she started to gather ingredients, her tail swishing side to side lazily as she moved about the kitchen. When she had to reach over her head to get something from a cupboard, she was alarmed to feel a hard metal body press against her back. A metal arm reached past the catgirl to get the object for her and she muttered a quiet word of thanks. "Er…did something happen while I was in the bath? You're both acting strange."

"Noriko, if Master Saitama has impregnated you, I will take responsibility and-"

"Wh-what?!" She turned quickly to see that his expression was completely serious.

"When you are in a heat cycle, the chances of impregnation are higher and Master Saitama has told me that he did not pull out and you did not use protection so I have decided that if you are with child that I will take responsibility and help you raise it as our own and-"

"Wait a second. If she did have my kid, why would you think that you'd be raising them?" Saitama interrupted, more puzzled than angry.

"Master, I thought that since Noriko is my girlfriend it would only be appropriate."

Her ears drew back and she bared one fang. "I'm…pretty sure I can't have one and even if I could, I don't think I like that you're both making decisions about it already."

The cyborg appeared confused for a moment and then his expression darkened. "Noriko, how would you know that you cannot have children? I have informed you that when I climax, I release lubricant to simulate ejaculation and make it easier to continue. So how would you know that you cannot have children if you know that I am incapable of-?"

"Sonic." The name was said with a hint of disgust and it showed on Saitama's face. "I'm right, aren't I? I mean, I know he's done that stuff. I saw it, remember?"

Her face turned red and she twisted to face away from Genos again. "…yeah…so…I'm pretty sure I can't have children…" she murmured as she continued preparing their food. "Kenta probably did something when he altered me or maybe I'm just naturally sterile, but…I'm pretty sure Koneko is the only child I'll ever have." A frown twisted her lips and she felt cold metal arms go around her waist. _Even if could, would I want to? With as much horrible stuff that happens around me. And they would probably come out disfigured because of my warped DNA. And if Saitama were the father, they could be freakishly strong. They would be a monster._

The girl's ears twitched in alarm as her boyfriend's mouth lightly brushed the side of her neck. "I am sorry that I stayed behind to fight that pervert. I will make it up to you tonight."

"You know…you don't really have to. I'm just glad that you and Saitama showed up before I did something I would regret. I should have just stayed home today. Hn. Were you serious earlier, when you said that stuff about if I was pregnant?" She was asking mostly out of amusement. _It kind of felt like he's thought about it before, but if he knew that he can't do…that…then what was he expecting?_

"Yes. I meant every word of it," he answered, sounding slightly surprised.

She bit her lip and her tail began to shift against his lower half. The feeling of his body against hers, the metal heating gradually, proved to reignite her arousal. A wicked thought came to her and she bowed her head, smirking. "And if it was Sonic's?"

Genos let his fingertips dig into her waist ever so slightly, but maintained control of his emotions. "Yes, even if it was his. But the fact remains that you surely have had relations with Master Saitama more often than you have with that pervert."

Noriko glanced toward Saitama, who seemed to have shifted his attention almost completely to an anime on the television. When he saw her looking at him, he gave her a dopey smile. "Yeah. You're right," she lied. _I'm not about to let him know that I've been with Sonic off and on since I moved here! I can't imagine how he'd react to that!_

"Hey, how's dinner going? I forgot how hungry I get after I do that," their friend called from the other room. When he got no response, he stood and made his way over to the kitchen. Saitama found the catgirl's back pressed against the wall, the cyborg's body pinning her there. Their lips were locked in a passionate kiss and Noriko's small, pale hands were digging into the blonde's back in ecstasy. "Uh, do I need to leave or something? Want me to just go pick something up from the store? I'm starting to get a little jealous."

Genos broke the contact and looked at his master over his shoulder. "Master Saitama, would you like to join us?"

"Uh, no. I don't really feel like it," he said, making an excuse. More than anything, he did not want to think about how Genos would try to work him into their activities.


	77. Chapter 77

The bruises on Noriko's hips were dark, but when she touched them she felt minimal pain. She was standing in the kitchen, lifting her shirt a little to look at the bruises while she waited for the rice to cook. _It really doesn't hurt. Is it just because I'm durable or do they just look worse than they are?_ Her tail twitched side to side as she became aware of someone watching her. Lowering her shirt, she glanced toward the other room. Both roommates were looking at her. Blood rushed to her face and she frowned. "Hn. What? You need something? Lunch is almost done."

It was the second day of her heat cycle and as she turned back to her task, she wondered how the day would go. The previous evening, Genos had made it clear that he was bothered by her new relationship with Saitama. Not through his words, but his actions. _I guess I can't really blame him_ , she thought as she started to put their food on plates. _He did say that thing once. That really embarrassing thing about…sharing. So I guess I can understand why he would be upset. Like we went behind his back. But it's not like we planned it!_

"Nya-chan, is it done yet?" Saitama raised an eyebrow when she jumped, startled by his abrupt closeness. He saw the plates of food and smiled. "Oh, cool. I'll take mine." The man took one of the plates and was about to turn to go back to the other room when he noticed how red her face was. "Huh? You're blushing a lot."

"Hn. It's nothing," she muttered, taking the remaining two plates.

"Really? So you're not thinking about something dirty?" he teased her.

"N-no. I'm not. I'm really not." Noriko sat beside Genos, putting a plate in front of him. Slouching a little, she started to eat. _What am I going to do? Before I lived here, I was traveling alone and would just go into the forest when I hit a heat cycle. I can't really do that now; Genos would get worried and follow me._ Her ears perked forward when she felt a small rush of air over the side of her neck, an arm going around her waist to pull her against his hard metal side.

"How are you feeling today, Noriko? If you want me to help you satisfy your heat urges today, I would be more than happy to," the blonde whispered, letting his hand roam up to her bust. His metal fingers skimmed over the thin material of her t-shirt, feeling the warmth of her skin radiate through it. "I can do more than a normal man can."

Saitama watched this from across the table and raised an eyebrow. "I'm sitting right here. Would you mind toning it down a little?"

"Master Saitama, I would like some time alone with Noriko again today. There are a few things that I would like to try that I am sure will help to satisfy her."

The catgirl's feline ears drew back, her eyes shifting away from Saitama. "C-can you not say things like that?" She shifted a bit, feeling her body begin to heat up at his words.

"What? But it's cute when your face turns red like that," the bald hero remarked. "And if you guys are going to do that, I'll just go hang out with King…wait. I asked him to do something for me so he's busy. I kind of thought I'd have more time with Nya-chan."

Noriko was about to ask what sort of errand King had been sent on when her body was pulled onto the cyborg's lap. She felt lips brush the side of her neck and a small moan slipped from her. "W-wait a minute. Saitama is still-"

"I can sense that your pulse has changed, Noriko. Are my actions arousing you?" He slipped a hand down her front, feeling her tense and then buck her hips subconsciously as he pressed two fingers between her legs. Genos smirked faintly in satisfaction and rubbed at the warm skin through her pants. "If this upsets him, he can leave. I do not want to wait to begin." His free hand moved to unbutton her pants and the other slid up her shirt while his mouth moved along her neck.

The girl closed her eyes, hoping to hide from the embarrassment of this occurring in front of their friend. She bit her lip to try to smother a groan when the blonde pushed a finger into her. _Why is he doing this right in front of Saitama?! He really couldn't wait five minutes for him to leave?_ To her further humiliation, her hips began to move as she ground her hips down upon his hand. "G-Genos~"

A pounding at the door went ignored by Genos, but not by Noriko and Saitama. The man turned to look at the door, as if expecting the person to simply walk away. They did not. The pounding became louder. A glance toward Noriko and Genos showed that neither was about to get up to answer it so Saitama stood to do it himself. The door was opened and he immediately frowned. "What are you doing here?"

Sonic was standing there, snow in his hair and fury in his eyes. "Send out Noriko."

Saitama glanced over his shoulder at the catgirl and the cyborg. Things seemed to have escalated a little and neither seemed aware of what was happening at the door. "I don't think so. Why don't you just go home?"

"I'm only going to ask one more time. Send her out. If you don't-"

"What are you going to do if I don't? Really?" He stared at the ninja for a moment as he waited for a reply. Instead, the man tried to force his way into the apartment and was swiftly hurled backwards into the hallway. The door was closed and Saitama looked back to his roommates. His first feeling was regret that he had not left. The second feeling was something else.

Noriko's face was red as she realized what had happened behind them at the door. _Does Sonic know what this week is? Is that why he-?_ Her lips parted to release a moan when she felt the metal fingers drive deeper into her, but it was silenced by a mouth covering hers. Green eyes snapped open wide and she felt warm fingers thread into her long violet hair to pull her face closer. _What is he doing?!_ The metal arm around her waist tightened as Genos took notice of where their friend was. Noriko broke the kiss and immediately shifted her gaze to the side. "S-Saitama, what are you doing?"

"Huh? Oh. I guess I wanted to keep Sonic from hearing you so I just acted on impulse." He looked down at her and smiled, lifting her chin with one hand. "Let's do it again."

"W-wait a second! This is sort of awkward and-!" She yowled quietly when her lower half was lifted and she felt something bigger than fingers slide into her. _I've never been so embarrassed before! Saitama is right here in front of me and Genos is…doing…that!_ Noriko closed her eyes again as a moan started to leave her. The sound was muffled by her friend's lips against hers, his fingers moving to rub behind one of her feline ears.

Saitama smiled into the kiss when she began to purr and drew her upper half forward so her chest pressed against his. Her arms moved quickly to wrap around his neck to steady herself. He wanted to touch the spot above her tail, but was reluctant to get his hand that close to Genos. The cyborg was gripping her hips, thrusting himself up and into her with no regard for their friend's presence.

Noriko broke the kiss and nuzzled her face into the side of his neck, panting softly. "Th-this is weird. We should stop. Shouldn't we? We should probably stop because this is really weird. How are you both okay with this?" Her fingertips dug into Saitama's skin as the blonde behind her pushed in particularly hard. Her muscles clenched around his member as her climax washed over her, moaning quietly beside her friend's ear. "Hnnnnyah~"

"I want to change positions, Noriko. Do you still want more?"

"Hn…S-Saitama is still here," she pointed out, closing her eyes.

"Oh? Do you want me to do it now?"

"N-no. Don't say embarrassing stuff like that. I just…thought you wouldn't want to be here or Genos wouldn't want to-" She felt metal fingers beneath her chin, turning her to look at the blonde over her shoulder. His lips met hers and she felt her heart skip a beat.

When he pulled away a little, he was pleased to see her eyes filled with lust. "Noriko, if it is Master Saitama, I do not mind. I love you and I know that he has only pure intentions toward you." He slipped his member out of her and gently turned her onto her back with her upper half resting on their roommate's lap. Settling her legs around his waist, he pushed back into her again. The girl threw her head back and Saitama smiled, watching her expression turn from confusion to pleasure. Genos briefly met his gaze, but silently swore to himself that he would not get angry about this turn of events.

 **Shift P.O.V**

The air was cold, but he hardly felt it as he moved down the snow-covered streets. It was rather humiliating. He had gone in hopes of catching her off-guard and was swiftly thrown aside by his rival. Now Sonic was just trying to determine his next course of action. He had seen what Noriko and Genos were doing behind Saitama and it made his blood boil. _I can't lose to him. At least she hasn't slept with Saitama._ He paused at a crossroads near a park and saw something that made him grin.

It had been a while since he saw her, but it was unmistakably Noriko's daughter. She was accompanied by a boy around her age as well as two heroes. _Class C Mumen Rider and Class S King? Why are they here?_ Sonic glanced from the young catgirl to the boy that she was with and his grin grew. They seemed to be on a date with the two heroes chaperoning. Why they were being chaperoned by heroes instead of the girl's mother, he was not sure. However, it presented an interesting opportunity. _King is supposed to be strong, isn't he? He could be interesting to fight. Maybe if there's time after I get this done._

The ninja was slightly surprised when the girl suddenly looked toward him and grinned. She ran across the park and threw her arms around his waist, giggling. "Sonic-sensei! Where _were_ you?! It's been forever since I saw you! You missed my exam! I'm a Class C hero!" Koneko greeted him, the boy jogging to catch up to her. "This is Tetsuo-kun! We're on a date!"

"You don't say." Sonic glanced at the boy. The child seemed to be smart, keeping his distance from the man, and pushed up his glasses nervously when they made eye contact.

"So where _were_ you?! No one would tell me where you went!" Koneko demanded.

"I was with your mother," he stated simply.

The girl crossed her arms, her expression becoming a pout. "Why do you always say that?! I don't have a mother! You _know_ that!"

"What if you did? What would you say if I told you that you _do_ have a mother and I'm really close with her?" Sonic watched her tilt her head, her tail curling like Noriko's. "You're curious now."

"Hn. If I had a mother, big sister would have told me."

"You have a mother; Noriko just doesn't want you to know. Ask her yourself the next time you see her." Confusion crossed the child's face and he frowned. "I'm serious."

"If you know her mother, why don't you call her?" the girl's friend asked. "It wouldn't be hard to have her come here, right? Then Koneko-chan would know who her mother is."

Sonic stared down at the kid for a second and grinned. "You're annoying. Koneko, come here. Let's take a picture together."

"Tetsuo-kun, I don't care about my mother. If she cared, she should've come to see me! Sonic-sensei, lift me up!" She wrapped her arms around his neck and beamed when the photo was taken on his phone. "You have to send me that, okay? You have my number!"

"I'll send it." He looked at the screen and was satisfied with the photo. "Your chaperones are pretty useless."

"They're here to help Tetsuo-kun in case of monsters! I told them that I could do it myself, but they said Saitama-sensei wanted them to help me!"

Sonic shifted his gaze to the two heroes. Mumen Rider had noticed him and was now approaching. "You shouldn't hang out with weak losers, Koneko."

"You're not supposed to be here!" the hero called, giving an appearance of bravery.

"You think you can stop me? Maybe you're just stupid. I'm one of the top assassins in the world. I'm so far above you in strength and skill that you'll lose in three seconds flat."

 **Shift P.O.V**

Noriko had heard her phone's ringtone, but at the time she had been occupied. Now that there was a break in their activities, she took the opportunity to check her phone. Genos had received a call from the Hero Association to take down a monster a few cities away, which he answered while still driving his member deep into her. _I still can't believe he could be that calm while we were doing that_ , she thought with a blush. _Okay…text message? What's this attachment?_

Her blood ran cold when she saw the picture of Koneko and Sonic. The child had her arms around his neck and looked absolutely elated at being with him. Noriko's hands began to shake as she stared at the photo and the message below: 'Look what I have'. Goose bumps rose on her skin and she glanced over at Saitama. He was lounging on his futon with a manga in his hands, seeming to be focused on what he was reading. Suppressing a growl of frustration, she took the phone into the bathroom and locked the door.

When her call was answered, it was clear that he had been waiting for quite some time. "It took you long enough. I thought you would be more concerned about the safety of your kid," Sonic taunted.

"Where are you right now?!" she demanded in a low whisper.

"What's that? You'll have to speak up. Or are you hiding from them to talk to me? How sweet of you, Noriko." His grin could be felt through his words and the tone of his voice. In the background, there was a faint sound of birds and wind. "So you want to come see me?"

"If you hurt Koneko, I will _disembowel_ you and hang you with your own intestines!"

"She's fine. For now. But you should probably hurry unless you want something to happen. Who knows? She might fall down or she might hear something that she shouldn't."

"Where are you?" she repeated, her patience quickly wearing thin.

"Come to Corpse Mountain. _Alone_. If Saitama or that metal nuisance are with you, I might do something that you'll regret. Don't make me wait."

When Noriko went out to the sitting room to put on some clean clothes, she tried to explain herself to Saitama in the vaguest way possible. It came out as a lie about the Hero Association and soon she was sprinting down the road. _Damn it! What if he tells Koneko that I'm her mother?! Worse! I'm about to be almost alone with Sonic! This is the worst possible situation! I'll have to just get Koneko and hurry away. He won't hurt us, right? He wouldn't really hurt a child, right?_ Her heart hammering in her chest, she began to run a little faster.


	78. Chapter 78

Noriko shivered when she approached the mountain, recalling the last time she had visited it. _That was when Sonic made me go against my vows as a hero. If he thinks that I'll help him kill possibly innocent people again, I'll make him regret it! And if he's hurt Koneko, I'll tear him apart!_ She frowned and took in her surroundings as she proceeded into the forest that covered the mountain, trying to sense the ninja's presence.

The air on the mountain seemed colder than in the city or even in the countryside that she had traveled through. She regretted leaving her coat and absently rubbed her upper arms as her breath left her in clouds. "Where is he? He didn't even say which part of the mountain!" The violet fur of her tail puffed up as an icy wind blew past her. Gritting her teeth to keep them from chattering, she lowered her head and continued to trudge through the snowstorm.

A lot of things crossed her mind as the catgirl walked, her boots making a crunching sound as they sank into the snow. She worried about her friends searching for her, she worried about what Sonic might be planning, but more than anything she worried about Koneko. The girl was so lost in thought that she barely had time to react when she sensed danger to her right. Moving quickly, she unsheathed one of her swords and deflected the shuriken.

Her eyes narrowed upon the figure in black and she bared a fang. Though she was not about to admit it, the sight of him in his tight bodysuit made her feel tingly. It clung to him, showing every toned muscle in a way that made her heart race. The wind caught his purple scarf and made it billow like a banner. "Speed o' Sound Sonic. Where's Koneko?"

He tilted his head, smirking behind the scarf. "What makes you think that I'll tell you? And aren't you being a little formal? You act like we've never-"

"Look, just tell me where she is! I have better things to do than stand here talking to you!" she snarled, unsheathing her second blade.

"Better things to do? That's how you refer to your precious boyfriend now? He's just 'better things to do'?" Sonic taunted. "Alright. I guess now that you're here, I can let you in on a little secret."

Her tail whipped back and forth in outrage as it dawned on her. "You never had Koneko, did you?! So what's this about, Speed o' Sound Sonic?"

"You really have to ask?" The man raised an eyebrow and saw her begin to blush. Her body language did not go unnoticed by him. He saw the way she shifted and fidgeted. After the previous day's encounter, it was hard not to know what she was thinking about.

Noriko took a few steps back, trying to keep her eyes focused on his. Even with the scarf hiding his mouth, she could tell that he was grinning in that bizarre way that she both loved and hated. "What is it? Tell me. What is it about me that makes you want me? I'm not very strong. I'm not nearly as fast as you or even Genos. My durability isn't even that useful for an assassin. So what is it?" Her feline ears shifted as she listened for any sounds near her, wondering what her chances of escape might be.

He watched her step away and found it almost amusing. It was fairly obvious that she was contemplating fleeing, but they both knew that he was faster. She would be caught in a matter of seconds. "Why are you stalling? Do you really think you can get away from me?"

"No. I know I can't," she replied with no hesitation. The catgirl saw him take a step toward her and swiftly twisted to avoid a strike to her ribs. She maintained her balance and issued forth a small growl. "You just don't know how to answer the question, do you? The _expert assassin_ doesn't know what they think."

"Aren't you being a little bold?" Sonic easily dodged a swipe of her right blade and his grin grew. Excitement coursed through his veins and he eagerly used his katana to block her left sword. It had been a while since they had a worthwhile fight and seeing her wear such a fierce expression made his heart race. "Do you really want to know?"

 _Do I?_ Noriko frowned and jumped back to put distance between them. Brandishing her swords, she felt her feline ears draw back in frustration. She remembered what Mumen Rider had asked her, about how she truly felt toward Sonic. _I hate him! Don't I? He keeps trying to separate me from Genos and Saitama! He made Koneko spend New Year's without me! He killed Kenta's family and they were innocent! I should hate him! I should despise everything about him! So…why don't I? Why can't I? Seeing him, being near him, is like being on a drug. I forget about everything else. When we're apart, I dislike him. When we're together, I…love him. Don't I?_ Even as these thoughts passed through her head, the girl's heart raced. "Tell me."

Sonic closed the space between them before she could blink and pinned her back against a tree trunk. Tugging down his scarf to display his grin, he brought his face close to hers. "When you're around, I fight better. Because I feel like I have to protect you, even when you're fighting for yourself. The faces you make, the way that you fight, and even your stupid loyalty are all things that make me want you. And I won't let you get away this time."

She winced at the close proximity, feeling her face begin to burn with a blush. The catgirl could feel the warmth of his body and it made heat pool in her lower half. _Why is this happening?! Why does he always have this effect on me? And it's worse now that I'm in my heat cycle!_ Her head went back, a yowling moan tearing from her lips as his mouth found the side of her neck. "Hnnnyaaah~ Don't…it's too much…"

"You're mine and I'm yours," he said, pressing closer against her. The man felt her hips grinding forward into his and smirked. "I know that you want it. Just ask nicely and I might spoil you, Noriko."

"Ngh." Teeth scraped over her sensitive skin before biting down. She moved quickly and shifted one of her swords behind his back, preparing to drive the tip into his spine if need be. Thankfully he moved away from her to avoid the attack, but did not move far. The dark-haired man licked her blood from his lips and grinned evilly. "I'm…not playing around here, Sonic! I'm not here for that! I came here because I thought Koneko was-!"

"You thought your precious little daughter was in danger. She still doesn't know who you are, does she? Isn't it difficult to keep that a secret? Wouldn't it be easier to just tell her that you're her mother?" He saw the anger ignite in her bright green eyes. It brought forth a rush of anticipation. "Do you know what she did when she saw me today? She hugged me and called me 'sensei'. Isn't that sweet?"

"She doesn't know what kind of person you actually are!" Noriko argued. She rushed forward, readying both blades to attack. He was quick to block her and strike in retaliation, all the while wearing a grin. When the girl leapt back to avoid a flurry of shuriken, she saw an opening and lunged in time to shallowly slice his cheek.

He blinked, surprised that she had actually hurt him. Immediately, she took his moment of confusion to put distance between them again. "Heh. That actually stings a little," Sonic remarked. He licked at the blood that pooled at the corner of his mouth and fixed his grey eyes upon her. She was shaking a little, but he was unsure of whether it was caused by the cold or her excitement. "You've gotten better."

"Hn. I'm a hero. Of course I have to get better; so I can beat people like you!" Stepping backwards, she felt the fur on her tail bristling. In less than a second, Noriko was sprawling on her back in the snow with the ninja straddling her waist. A cold blade pressed against her neck, but she had managed to maneuver a sword to press against his neck as well. Their eyes locked, both of them frozen in place as they wondered if the other would actually cut them. _I can't. Even now, seeing that cut on his face, I feel guilty. But if I move my sword away first then I'll look weak. Damn it!_ With reluctance, she carefully pulled her blade away from his throat and was glad when he did the same.

"Whoa. Good thing you came to your senses. I thought I'd have to get involved for a second there." The voice came from behind Sonic and Saitama had no trouble catching the shuriken that was thrown at him. The hero frowned slightly, but was otherwise unfazed. "What're you doing anyway? I heard that you had Koneko, but she isn't really here. So what's going on? You just wanted to lure Nya-chan out here to make out with her in the snow? Looks pretty cold."

Noriko knew that she should not be alarmed with how fast Sonic moved, but could not help releasing a gasp when she suddenly found herself on her feet with his chest pressed against her back and his left arm around her waist. "Er…l-look so I just…I just want to go home now, okay? Sonic? Saitama?"

"We're going to do more than that, Saitama. You know firsthand that we're lovers." Sonic smirked when she tilted her head back to look at him, blushing red at the word choice. "So if you think that I'm going to let her go easily, think again."

The other man tilted his head. "You were literally at each other's throats a second ago."

The girl's tail twitched absently and coiled partially around one of Sonic's legs. "Hn. Just let me go. We both know what happens every time you fight him," she taunted the ninja.

"That scratch on your face looks like it stings. Did Nya-chan claw you?" Saitama asked, taking a few steps toward them. "She looks mad. Maybe you should just let go of her."

She gritted her teeth to suppress a moan when she felt her captor's hips grind against the back of hers. _What is he thinking? Does he really think that this will end well for him? Saitama always beats him into the ground. Sometimes literally._

Saitama scratched the back of his head and appeared fed up with the situation. "Okay, look. I don't like the way you're touching her so just let go and we can end this now."

"You don't like the way I'm touching her? I'm barely doing anything, but if you want me to put on a show for you…" Sonic smirked and, still pressing his arm across the front of her waist, let a hand trail down to between her legs. "Does this bother you?"

"Yeah, it does. Quit touching her."

 _How can I get out of his hold? If I try to attack him with my swords…it's a really awkward angle. I can't hurt him without hurting myself at this rate, but maybe that's what I need to do!_ She squirmed a little, hoping to at least convey to Saitama that she did not want to be held by his rival in that moment.

"If you want her, you'll have to fight me for her. You interrupted us last time, but today I'm not going to let her get away. Today, I'm going to have her all to myself."

"Nope." The hero wore his typical deadpan expression, staring at Sonic almost vacantly. "We have plans later." He held up a fist, but it was in a halfhearted fashion. "I mean, if you really want to fight then we can fight. I just want to spend some time with Nya-chan."

"You had plans?" Sonic repeated, amused. His fingers pressed between Noriko's legs and felt the heat radiating through her pants. "What? You were going to rub behind her ears and-?"

"Uh, no. Well maybe. After we have sex, right, Nya-chan? That would probably feel good." Saitama saw the color drain from the ninja's face. "What's wrong with your face? Feeling sick or something?"

"You're joking. You have to be joking." Sonic glanced down to find Noriko's face turning bright red and her eyes shifting away from his. "You can't be serious."

"I-I'm…hn…catgirls have heat cycles," she muttered.

He felt almost relieved. It would at least give an explanation as to why she would do something so heinous with his rival. Though now all he could think about was Noriko jumping on top of the hero with lust in her eyes. "How cute. The great Samurai Catgirl goes into heat like a normal cat and rubs on whatever she can. Why don't I give you something to rub on?" he teased, leaning down to her nicked feline ear. His breath tickled the sensitive skin there and he felt her quiver in his hold.

Noriko was about to try to pull free when she saw something horrifying in the distance. She was grateful for Sonic's hold when he moved them both in time to avoid a massive dog monster falling upon them. It was taller than any tree on the mountain and wide, its body muscled yet plump. The catgirl held onto Sonic out of reflex when he took up a position on a tree branch overlooking the creature. When she saw a body seem to fly onto the monster out of thin air, she blinked in alarm. _Genos?! Was this where he went earlier?_ Another body flew past, this one clothed all in white with long flowing black hair. _Kenta, too?_

"That creep. I was hoping that I'd get the chance to fight him again." Sonic set her down on the branch and grinned. "Stay here. If you leave, I'll make you regret it."

Her blades sat in their sheaths on her back, slipped in quickly before he had shifted their position. She was glad of it now. Clutching tightly to the tree trunk, she saw a confrontation brewing below on the ground. Saitama was nowhere to be seen, but Genos and Sonic were ready to fight. Though the cyborg was a little confused when he saw the ninja. _So when he was called away by the Hero Association to fight, it was a dog monster. And Kenta._ Noriko squinted and frowned. Skimming over the cyborg catman's body, it was easy to see that he had received some sort of upgrade. At the very least, it was apparent that it was not made of plastic.

The dog monster hauled itself to its feet and snarled lowly, drool running from its jaws. Kenta stood before it, smirking, and reached up to stroke its snout. "Huhuhuh! What's wrong? Is my little puppy actually hurting you? Wait. Where did _you_ come from?"

"I don't know why you're here. Or why this metal nuisance is here. All I know is that I was here first and I'm not done with what I was doing. I'm not letting you stop me," Sonic stated, brandishing his katana.

"Why are you here? Your help is unwanted," Genos spoke up.

"Everyone's here! Everyone except for that weird low class hero and Hinyako! Who cares?! I'm going to kill both of Hinyako's boyfriends by tearing you limb from limb! I'll teach her a lesson she'll never forget! I'll avenge my family by destroying everything she loves all over again!" Kenta howled with laughter, his lips shiny with drool.

Noriko felt her blood begin to boil at those words and hissed subconsciously. _That bastard! If he hurts either of them…damn it! I'm worried about them both! I'm really worried! And Genos doesn't even know that I'm here! Damn it! I can't just stand here watching!_ Before she could jump down to join the fight, she felt an arm wrap tightly around her waist from behind. She jolted and smothered a yelp when she looked over her shoulder.

Saitama smiled down at her. "Not yet. Just wait until the time's right and I'll throw you at it. It'll look pretty cool and it'll probably freak Kenta out."


	79. Chapter 79

"Did you follow me?" Noriko's ears drew back in mild irritation. She would have expected Genos to follow her, but not Saitama.

"You're really bad at being quiet. I heard you say something about Koneko and asking where she was so when you left, I figured that she was in trouble. I didn't really think that all of this would happen," he explained.

"So…you didn't know that Genos would be here?" Her tail shifted in the cold air, snowflakes swirling on the wind and peppering her dark violet hair. She felt his arm still around her, holding her steady when the wind picked up a little. _He feels so warm…even through his hero costume. Damn it! What am I thinking?! I need to focus on what's going on down there! If Kenta thinks that he can try to hurt any of my friends, I'll tear off his cheap arms and beat him to death with them!_

On the ground, Kenta was still facing Sonic and Genos with the large dog monster behind him. His crimson eyes had gone wide in excitement, his lips curled in a grin far creepier than Sonic's. "Huhuhuh! So what are _you_ doing here, Speed o' Sound Sonic? Having a secret rendezvous with Hinyako's boyfriend?"

"It does not matter why he is here," Genos interrupted. "I want to know why you are so determined to get a DNA sample from Noriko. What do you intend to do with it?"

"Isn't it obvious?! I want to make more catgirls! I'm going to _perfect_ the catgirl! I'll make a ton of them and market them as personal heroes to rich people! I'll sell the defective ones to poor people and soon, there'll be no need for heroes!" Kenta cackled and snorted, his feline tail shifting behind him in excitement. "I'll be the King of Catgirls and they'll all be obedient to me! And when the time is right, I'll turn them against those owners and there'll be no heroes to stop me from taking over! It's the perfect plan! I'm a gen-!"

"You're stupid." Sonic looked bored as he stared down the catman, ignoring the expression of outrage that he wore. "Why would anyone want something like that?"

"You would be taking hundreds of jobs from real heroes. I will not let you mass create catgirls and market them as slaves. Noriko would not want this." Genos took a few steps forward, glaring at the other cyborg.

"Do I look like I care what that _cow_ wants? She's an _abomination_! When I have what I need, I'll just dispose of her! And _you_!" Kenta turned from Genos to Sonic and smirked. "You asked me who would want a catgirl? Obviously _you_. Do you think I don't know about what you did in prison? You think I don't have connections? Not that I planned for that to happen, but it worked out so beautifully, don't you think?"

The blonde cyborg frowned. "What are you saying?"

"I didn't think she'd actually kill that poor girl Yaya, but I'm sure that Speed o' Sound Sonic is glad that she did. She wasn't in that women's prison for more than a day before they put her in that men's prison and when she mauled that guy for feeling her up, it just got better! I heard that she looked absolutely _pathetic_ when they brought her to his section! Shackled and gagged with her shirt torn open! I guess you just can't resist that, can you? My connections told me that you were screwing her less than an hour after she got there!"

 _He knew people in the prison?! Was it one of the guards?_ Noriko was beginning to tremble with rage, listening to him continue to taunt her friends. She reached to one of her swords and paused to look over her shoulder at Saitama. "Could you aim for Kenta when you throw me? I want to drive this through his chest and my other sword into his brain to kill him."

"Huh? Doesn't that seem kind of dangerous? I mean, he's not very durable. That monster should probably die first so it can't protect him. If you go after Kenta first then the monster will just attack you." He watched the exchange happening below them and listened to the taunting.

"Hn. So you're not getting involved in the fight?" She was a little glad that he had faith in her, but at the same time she felt a flutter of doubt. _The monster looks pretty tough this time. All of the other dog monsters spoke. They seemed at least a little bit intelligent or human. This one seems way more animal-like._ Noriko's free hand went to her other blade and she unsheathed both swords. She was still shaking, but tried to calm herself by taking a deep breath. The cold air stung her lungs a little.

"I know that you want to take care of this yourself since it's Kenta-related. Besides, if I help then you won't get stronger. And I'd rather watch. Weren't you training with that old guy?"

Her ears drooped as she looked at him over her shoulder again. "You…understand? Really?" She could tell that he did understand when she saw his reassuring smile. "Hn. Why are you so sweet, Saitama?"

"Huh? You think I'm sweet?" His smile grew and he leaned down to kiss the top of her head. "You're sweet."

The girl's cheeks turned pink, her heart skipping a beat at both his words and actions. _Why does that make my chest feel tight?_ She looked down at the group on the ground, her tail curling at the end in curiosity. "So can you throw me now? If I take out the monster quickly then they can go after Kenta." She was glad when he lifted her, but instantly grew nervous at the thought of being launched through the air at the monster.

"So, I just have one thing I want to say before we do this." Saitama made sure that she was listening, meeting her curious green eyes with a serious expression. "I love you."

"Wait…what?"

"Aim for the eyes." He threw her as hard as he could and watched her body fly through the air toward the dog monster.

She wanted to rewind time. She wanted to ask him to repeat his words. She wanted time to at least consider what he had said. None of these things were practical as she soared over the heads of the three men. The edges of her blades sank deep into the monster's flesh on top of its head and she pressed a boot against its snout to dislodge her swords. Noriko flipped backwards to land directly in front of it with blood splattered on her face, hands, and clothes.

It threw back its head, howling in agony and moving both clawed front paws to hold the wound. When it finally looked down at her, its eyes narrowed. She ignored the alarmed look on Kenta's face and the puzzled one on her boyfriend's as she dodged a massive paw's swipe. Noriko ducked to avoid the next one as she sprinted forward with both swords poised to slash. _If I aim for its gut, that should at least inflict enough damage to slow it down. There's not as much muscle to cut through and the blood loss should be decent._

Sonic, seeing the dog monster leap back to avoid her attacks, grinned. "What? Do you need my help?" He was soon behind it, preventing the monster from backing away any further and making it face her blades. Blood spilled out upon the snow, steaming in the cold. When he saw her face and clothes splashed with the crimson liquid, he felt his heart race. She looked truly feral with her violet hair blown into disarray by the wind and her fangs bared like a true predator. He smirked, not about to let her have all of the fun, and jumped up to send a flurry of exploding shuriken down upon the monster.

Noriko rolled over the snow to avoid the explosions, but Genos stood and took minor damage as he moved in to attack Kenta. Neither cyborg seemed to mind the damage they took. She watched Kenta swipe with his sharp claws, but he was unable to touch Genos. The girl was so preoccupied with watching the fight that she did not notice the monster reaching toward her. Its clawed paw struck her in the side hard, sending her skidding over the ground and slamming into a tree trunk. Blood oozed from the gashes in her side that the claws had created, but she refused to make a sound of pain. It was now barreling through the snow in her direction, like a dog rushing to retrieve fallen prey. She hissed on instinct, baring her fangs in an effort to keep it at bay long enough for her to regain her bearings. _Damn it! It tore my shirt and now I can feel snow getting in the wound. It doesn't feel right._

The beast ignored her hiss and continued forward, opening its jaws in anticipation of reaching her. Instead of closing its teeth on flesh, it was instead met with the sensation of a katana slicing cleanly through it snout. Gushing blood from its ruined nose and mouth, the monster reared on its back legs and screamed. Sonic stood in front of Noriko, watching the creature make a bloody mess of the snow beneath it as it fell onto its back and began to roll around. He looked at her over his shoulder and smirked. "Just wait for me here. I'll finish that thing off and we can negotiate my reward later."

Pushing herself to stand, Noriko spat blood. "I'm not…letting you do that. I can finish this myself!" She ran past him, almost surprised that he made no move to stop her, and readied her blades. Jumping up, she was able to come down hard onto the creature's chest. Thrusting both swords into its ribs made its screams grow shriller. It began to thrash as it tried to dislodge her from its flesh, but it was futile. _I'm going to kill this thing and then take out Kenta! I have to!_

When it finally seemed to settle down, the blood running from its torn flesh, the girl drew her blades free. Her tail moved back and forth slowly as she strode up its chest, green eyes fixed upon its tearful dark ones. She tilted her head when she reached its neck and crouched down. "Hn. It's not your fault. I know it's not. He probably told you that he'd make everything better. That's what he tells everyone." Her fingertips ran through the grey, bristly fur of its neck and she frowned. "I'm sorry." Lifting both swords over her head, she plunged them into its throat.

Thankfully, the monster made no sound as it died. It simply shuddered and its eyes went blank. Noriko pulled her swords free and felt a pang of guilt. _This thing really isn't to blame here. I'm sure it's just a stray dog that he mutated. It was probably scared and didn't even know what to do with this strength it suddenly had. But if I didn't do this, I'm sure Kenta would have found a way to control this thing._ She slipped down from its body, landing on her feet near Sonic. Her eyes shifted briefly to the tree branch where she had left Saitama, but he was gone. _Damn it. I can't even take a second to think about what he said because now we have that creep to deal with_ , she thought as she looked to Kenta.

Seeing his creation die seemed to ignite something within him. The catman was fighting more fiercely and managed to actually slash Genos across the cheek, chest, and down one arm. The appendage was still moving, but he had definitely damaged something within it because Noriko could see Genos struggling to keep it lifted. To the blonde's credit, he had managed to crack the metal of Kenta's chest and face, exposing some circuitry beneath the flesh tone covering. When she saw the catman taking quick steps back to avoid Genos' attacks, she saw an opening. He had his back to her so she took the opportunity to run and jump onto his back, locking her legs around his waist from behind and pinning a sword's sharp edge against his neck.

"Huhuhuh! Little Hinyako! I was wondering when you'd make an appearance! What's this? Are you trying to flirt with me? You're not my type and you know it!" Kenta twisted and body slammed her into the snow, knocking the air from her lungs. Her sword cut some wires in his throat, but it seemed to not bother him.

She moved to push herself up again, but was stopped by a white boot applying pressure to her throat. Her hands instinctively released her swords and went to his ankle, trying to get him off of her. Panic was quickly setting in as her air supply was cut off, her efforts at freeing herself futile. Noriko glared up at him, blood running from her wounded side. _Creep! Let me up! What the hell is he thinking?! If he thinks-!_ He lifted his foot and then replaced it, twisting the heel into her pale skin. She could see Genos from the corner of her eye as he approached, ready to incinerate the catman.

The next time that he spoke, his voice sounded warped from the damage. "So I guess you heard my plan, didn't you? What's that look for? Are you _mad_? Are you _jealous_? You think those catgirls will be more loved than you? Because they will. They'll be cuter than you, more obedient than you, and they'll never get old like you will. Best of all, they'll love me forever. Not like you. You used to be so sweet. Or did you forget the way you always smiled at me? Back when you were my type. Where's that smile now? Give me a smile and I might kill you quickly." Kenta saw Genos moving toward him and smirked. "I wouldn't get too close. I might lose my balance and crush her throat. Those new upgrades made my body pretty heavy. Even if this little bitch is durable, I doubt she'd live through this much metal coming down on her windpipe."

Noriko continued to struggle, gritting her teeth against the pain. Her eyes were wide now and she glanced from Kenta to Genos to where Sonic had last been. _Wait! Where is he?! Don't tell me he's going to fight Kenta and then try to demand that I pay him for it!_

"You always did look cute with tears in your eyes. Did you cry the first time he fucked you? He's your first, isn't he? What a waste. My first creation and your first time was with someone that's not even human. Well maybe not a total waste. This was decent product testing. Heroes and villains both enjoyed you so much. The new catgirls will be in such high demand, I'll have one in each household in no time!" Kenta snorted, grinding his heel into her throat harder.

When she saw movement above her in the tree branches, she felt her heart race with hope. When she realized that it was Sonic, grinning evilly and brandishing his katana, her hope turned to fear and a fresh panic. It was when a yellow blur intercepted him in midair that her faith was restored and Noriko's lips curled into a half-smile. Her mouth moved, forming the name of her friend just before he landed behind Kenta.

"Product testing? Nya-chan isn't a product. I'm pretty sure you didn't make her, either. Her parents did that." He smiled when the black fur on Kenta's tail puffed up in alarm. "Did I scare you?"

The catman turned quickly to confront him, taking his foot off of Noriko's throat, and was soon doubled over with drool running from his lips. He slumped over in the snow, ears drawn back and fangs shining as he bared them. Clutching his chest, he stared down at a deep dent in the metal in horror. "What did you do?! You _punched_ me! How did a _human fist_ dent my chest?" Kenta scowled up at Saitama, who was now holding Noriko in his arms and giving him a curious look. "Wh-what the hell are you?! You're not human, are you?"

"That's rude. I didn't even punch you that hard. Anyway, I'm taking Nya-chan home. Why don't you just spend your money on doing something that isn't so creepy? Like knitting. Cats like yarn, right?" The hero turned away and looked toward Genos. "Are you coming back with us or do you need to go to your doctor? Nya-chan's wound looks pretty bad."

"Master Saitama, I would like for you to come with me. Both you and Noriko. We need to discuss what is happening." His gold and black eyes shifted to Kenta and he frowned. "You are a disgrace to cyborgs. I want you to know that. You became a cyborg for selfish reasons and use your new body to commit disgusting acts. The next time we meet, I will destroy you."


	80. Chapter 80

NeonHorizon: Quick disclaimer? I took some liberties in figuring out what a catgirl would like because...well they're not real. So I just mixed cat stuff and lady stuff. So please don't PM me or leave a review saying stuff like "actually cats blah blah blah". Because this is a catgirl; not a cat.

* * *

"Well, that didn't take very long." The doctor wiped sweat from his brow, leaning back and admiring the freshly repaired arm. "It looks like he just tore a few wires. Nothing major. Can you try moving it? How does it feel?"

Genos looked down at his arm and tested it, flexing his fingers and turning it. "I am sorry that this happened. I should have been more careful, but-"

"I know that you're just trying to help Noriko-san. You do need to be careful though. He's a cyborg too so his strength is greater than a normal person's and he must know a little about how cyborg anatomy to be able to disable your arm that way. Now, on to the other issue you've brought me." The doctor frowned as he turned to look at the catgirl. She was slumped against Saitama for support, the hero giving him a blank look. "What happened again?"

"Noriko was struck by the claws of a mutated dog. Do you have some bandages and something that I can clean her wounds with?"

He shook his head and sighed. "Sorry, but no. I have small adhesive bandages for papercuts. Other than that, the only medical supplies I have are the ones that I use for you."

Noriko's eyes opened as a hand lifted her shirt to look at the wounds on her side. She had been shifting in and out of consciousness since they left the mountain, carried by Saitama. When she looked around at the lab, she immediately felt fear. _It reminds me of Kenta's lab_ , she realized with a shiver. Doctor Kuseno looked a bit alarmed when she hissed at him, but said nothing. "Hn…s-sorry. Labs make me nervous," she muttered, trembling.

"Yes, Genos told me about your past. Is it okay if I look at your wounds? I might be able to do something for it. At the very least, I might be able to close them and keep you from losing more blood." He waited for her to nod and turned to Genos. "Can you move her onto the exam table?"

The blonde carefully lifted her, wary of the gashes near her ribs. He was unsure of what the doctor intended to do, but he trusted him. Standing at the side of the table, he looked down at Noriko. She was paler than usual and clenched her eyes tightly shut as light shone down on her. Genos felt a pang of guilt when he noticed the bruise on her throat from where Kenta had stepped on it. He had wanted to tear the catman apart after seeing him treat her that way. He had wanted to protect her, but when he saw her in so much pain he worried what might happen if he did attack Kenta. "The next time I see him, I will destroy him. This is unforgivable."

"You know, you should probably leave that to Nya-chan," Saitama pointed out. All eyes turned to him and he awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "He killed her family. If anyone gets to kill him, it should be her. Right? Don't you think she deserves closure?"

"Master Saitama, is that why you refuse to fight him yourself?"

"Well, yeah. If I hit him, that's it. He's done. She deserves her revenge. Taking that away from her when she's waited so long for it doesn't seem right. If he wasn't such a scum bag, I might say that revenge is wrong, but I think the world would be worse off if he stayed alive. I heard what his plan was."

"His plan?" Doctor Kuseno was examining the wounds in the light now and frowned. "Alright, Noriko-san. These look like they haven't torn, which is good. That means that they should be easy to keep closed. Genos, I need you to take her sweatshirt off and tear some strips from it for bandages. Saitama, can you come here?"

 _Does he have anesthesia or painkillers? This really stings._ Noriko saw Saitama approach the side of the table and blushed, remembering what he had said before throwing her at the monster. Her heart beat a little faster when the doctor told him to hold her right hand. _Wait. Why does he have to-?!_ She gritted her teeth to silence a scream, gripping his hand as tightly as she could when the doctor began to staple her wounds closed. _What is he doing? Those are just normal staples, aren't they?! Is this even safe?_ The bandages were carefully wrapped over the staples when it was done and tears flowed from her eyes. "Ngh…d-damn it…"

"The good news is that I do have some painkillers. Have as many as you like. Here's some water." The doctor watched her snatch up the capsules and water bottle, feeling a little bad for stapling her wound closed. It had been the only thing he could think of on such short notice and she had been losing a decent amount of blood. "Would it be alright if I run some diagnostics on you before you leave?"

"Is there…something wrong? Do you think it damaged my organs?" she asked, giving him a wary look. _The sooner I can leave this lab, the better. I hate laboratories!_

"It's more out of curiosity. Only two cat people exist right now so I feel that we could collect some interesting data from you. Just a few scans, maybe a tissue sample and blood sample," he explained.

Saitama's phone began to ring and he raised his eyebrows. "Wow. I didn't think I would get any phone reception in here. It's Koneko so…" He carefully extracted his hand from Noriko's white-knuckled grip and moved to answer the call. "Hey, Koneko. What's up?"

The catgirl shakily sat up and glanced from Genos to the doctor. "I guess it would be okay. How long will it take?"

"Not too long. You'll be home before sunrise. It might hurt a little when I take the tissue sample though; I don't have anesthesia. Usually when I test a sample, it's from something that Genos fought."

Saitama approached, frowning. "Hey, I need to go. Koneko said the old lady isn't at the ranch and she probably shouldn't be alone all night. Everything okay here?"

"Noriko is staying a little longer for diagnostic tests. We will be back in the morning," Genos answered. "Then we can discuss defeating Kenta."

"Sounds good. Take care of Nya-chan, okay?" The hero smiled and turned to leave.

"Alright. I'll get something for you to clean up the blood and we can get started," the doctor determined. "Genos, do you want to help her?"

"Yes, I can help Noriko." When the doctor left them alone in the room, the blonde helped her out of her t-shirt and gently wiped the blood from her uninjured skin. She shivered in the chilled air, but made no sounds of pain. "Are the painkillers working? Does anything hurt?"

"No…I'm fine. They were stronger than I thought," she admitted. Touching her wounds through the bandage, she truly felt no pain. _It's like the medicine zeroed in on where I was hurt and it's just numbing that part. This feels weird_. Her ears twitched back when she became aware of the fact that he was watching her intently. "Genos?"

"Doctor Kuseno will be gone for a while. He needs to prepare. We have some time. Is your heat cycle bothering you?" He leaned in close so his face was just a few inches from hers.

She leaned back a little, nervous. When his body was so close to hers, it was hard not to feel her heart beat faster. Her eyes met his gold and black ones and she instantly felt her lower half grow warm. _Damn it. I can feel it already. My panties are getting wet just from him being this close._ The catgirl wrapped her arms around his neck and closed her eyes. The cold metal of his body felt good against her fingertips. "Y-yes. But only because you're so close to me."

The corner of his lips lifted and he drew closer to her, lowering her body onto the table again. One leg went between hers, his knee rubbing at her warm entrance. She moaned quietly and gripped his shoulders, turning her head to the side. "Do you want me, Noriko?"

"Don't…don't make me say it…" The girl was frustrated in more ways than one. Besides his teasing, she was mad at herself for feeling this way after being wounded in battle. _I should be resting, but instead I'm…aroused. Too aroused. It feels too warm._ She lifted her hips and carefully maneuvered out of her jeans and panties as her boyfriend undressed. Her green eyes skimmed up and down his body, taking in every curve of his metal frame.

One hand went between her legs to cup her warmth and he was surprised to find his fingertips quickly slick with her juices. The flesh felt warmer than usual and he wondered for a moment if she might have a fever. Seeing the desire in her gaze and watching her lick her lips made him smirk. Leaning down, his mouth covered hers and he slid two fingers into her.

She felt the cool metal against her warm, slick muscles. It made her quiver with pleasure and she was soon working her hips up and down to ride his fingers. They pressed deep into her, pushing against that spot within her that made her nearly scream. Her sharp nails pressed into the metal of his shoulders as she felt him add another digit. The girl's opening was being stretched now, taking three fingers deep into her. "Ngh! Aaaaah! Y-you're…putting in three…"

"Does it feel good?" The blonde leaned up to her feline ear, gently nipping at it. Her back arched and she groaned, feeling his fingers begin to thrust in and out of her at a steady pace. "I can do as much as I need to in order to satisfy you, Noriko. I even researched some things that you might enjoy. Would you like to try something new?" He spoke in a calm voice, maintaining his composure even as he fought the urge to simply push his member into her and begin.

"It's…something different?" Her eyes were glazed over with lust as she stared up at him. The smirk that he wore made her blush, her heart racing. Her pleasure had been building and now wavered as his fingers went still within her. "Genos…I don't…Hnyaaah!" She felt his fingers curl within her, brushing a particularly sensitive area. Her muscles clenched around his digits, her juices gushing out around them. Embarrassed, she turned her head to the side again.

"Do you want to try it, Noriko? I am sure that you will enjoy it."

"A-are you saying that wasn't it?!" She panted, watching him from the corner of her eye. He looked absurdly pleased with himself, but it was oddly cute. "I guess…we could try whatever it is that you researched." Noriko was wary as he pulled away from her, turning to give him her full attention. _Where was he researching though? The last time he wanted to try something new, it was from a hentai manga he found near Saitama's futon._

Genos was pleased on many levels. The thing he was most happy about was that he had her alone for the first time in weeks. Though he had managed to quell his jealousy when he saw her with Saitama, he really wanted to be alone with her. Now he had some time and she had agreed to try the new thing that he had discovered. He gently repositioned her onto her elbows and knees before dragging her to the edge of the table. Standing behind her, he looked down upon her pale back. Her violet tail was shifted to the side out of instinct and when he touched the area above it, her back arched. It was in that moment that he pushed into her, letting her warm lower lips grip onto his metal cock. He let a small groan escape him and he held her hips in place. She yowled quietly in response and pushed herself back to take more of his length.

Noriko sank her nails into the surface beneath her, her lips parted as she began to pant. _I haven't done it this way since I started my heat cycle. This feels incredible! Damn it…is it because cats do it kind of like this?!_ Shaking her head, she closed her eyes to enjoy the way his member slid in and out of her. The friction was pleasant, but their position gave him the perfect angle to strike the head of his member against that spot within her that made her moan. It soon had her legs trembling beneath her and her heart threatening to beat out of her chest. His name left her lips in a scream as he gripped her collar and tugged her head back.

His lips met hers hard, his teeth scraping over her bottom lip. An arm wrapped around her waist, his hand dipping between her legs to press a fingertip against her clit. Her muscles spasmed around his cock and he smothered the moan that threatened to leave her. The blonde paused, waiting for her to recover, and smirked. She had broken the kiss to collapse forward onto her forearms, breathing heavily. "Was I right? Does this feel better, Noriko?" He leaned down to her feline ear and tenderly kissed behind it. "Well? Do you want more? Would you like for me to continue satisfying you? The way that your muscles are tightening around my cock make me think that you want more. Is that considered greedy if I have not climaxed yet?"

"Hnnnn…Genos, more. Please. Like that. Just like that," she said in just above a whisper.

"Just like _this_?" He pulled out a little and pushed back in hard, drawing a yowling moan from the girl. "You like it this way?" She nodded and thrust her hips back to meet his as he began pumping in and out of her. "When I did research, I did it on cats and on women. I thought that this might be the best position to suit your needs. Just like a cat in heat."

 _Why does that make me feel so aroused? Hearing him say that made me feel tingly._ Noriko shivered as his chilled metal chest pressed against her back and she tensed in anticipation. "G-Genos? What are you doing?"

"There is another thing that cats seem to do. It might make this better."

"Wait…what are you…? Hnyaaaah! Genos~!" Her face burned with a deep blush, her throat issuing forth a loud moan as his teeth gently sank into the back of her neck. The girl's back arched against her will, hips pinning against his as she hit another climax. It had her yowling and moaning, her wet opening contracting around his member tightly. Her vision went dark for an instant and when she regained it, she could feel him continuing.

It pleased him greatly to hear her moan his name and it only urged him to go on. Holding her waist tightly, he continued to thrust into her core with passion and felt his pleasure building. At the back of his mind, he knew it was strange to be doing this in such a place. They could be walked in on at any moment and that only added to the excitement. It was a place that, until now, had felt like his alone. Like a private place of his own. Sharing it with her in this way felt exhilarating. When his climax came, he pushed deep into her and spilled forth warm lubricant.

The two stayed in place for a moment, both recovering from the explosion of pleasure that had washed over them. When the cyborg pulled out of her, Noriko immediately turned over and pulled him into an embrace. Her lips went to his, biting his lower lip teasingly before swiping the tip of her tongue over it. She half-smiled when he planted a hand on the table to the either side of her, caging her in place with his body as he returned the kiss. It was when she heard footsteps outside the door that she broke away and blushed again. "W-we should probably get dressed."

"Yes, we should. Let me help you, Noriko." Genos was careful in helping her dress, his gaze lingering over her skin as he felt his arousal return. Making a mental note to use the same position and technique when they got home, he smiled. "Did that help to satisfy your heat cycle for now?"

She bowed her head, embarrassed that she had acted the way she had. "Hn. For now. Um…I mean…we can do it again when we get home though, right?"

"Of course. I will see if Master Saitama can give us time alone when we return."

Noriko watched him cross the room to the door and tilted her head, recalling Saitama's words again. _Maybe I imagined it though. Why would he say that he loved me right before throwing me at a monster's face? That doesn't make sense. That's terrible timing if that's what he really said. But I probably misheard him…right?_


	81. Chapter 81

It was uncomfortable to say the least. He was sitting across the table from Koneko, who was angrily eating a bowl of instant ramen and glancing at him from time to time. If Noriko had been there, the tension would have been nonexistent. _She's always good at cheering her up. What happened anyway? Is she mad that I didn't chaperone her date?_ Saitama scratched his stomach beneath his shirt and frowned. "Uh…so what's up? You said the old lady was gone and you needed somewhere to go."

"Granny ran off! I don't know where she went and she didn't even leave a note this time, sensei! The cows didn't know where she went either! And to make things worse, Sonic-sensei ruined my date and Tetsuo-kun broke up with me!" she exclaimed, slamming down her chopsticks. "And where's big sister and that creepy blonde? Did he take her somewhere?"

"Genos needed his arm repaired so she went with him. How'd Sonic ruin your date?"

"Hn. He showed up and it was cool at first because he listened to what I had to say and we took a picture together, but then he kept saying Tetsuo-kun was a weakling and he hurt Mumen Rider and King was no help at all! Isn't he supposed to be a high ranking hero, sensei?! King ran away like a coward!" Her ears went back and Koneko growled lowly. She was about to launch into another rant when she froze, purring as her feline ears were rubbed. "Sensei…that isn't going to work this time. I want my big sister. Sonic-sensei said something that really bothered me."

"What? Did he say you looked fat or something? You're fine."

"He said that I have a mother and big sister knows who she is. If that's true, why is she keeping it a secret? It's not like I'll go running off to find her! If she didn't care enough about me to look for me then I don't care about her!" The child slouched, pouting now. Lifting her chopsticks, she shifted her ramen around. "And if I have a mother, wouldn't I have a father, too? Why wouldn't they look for me? Do they not want me because of how I look? I know I'm not normal. I knew that as soon as I came out of the lab."

Saitama tilted his head and frowned. _What am I supposed to say? I can't tell her that Nya-chan is technically her mom. I mean, if anyone tells her that it should be Nya-chan._ He saw tears roll down the child's pale cheeks and released a sound of frustration. "You know, your ramen will get soggy if you let it sit for too long." She lifted her light green eyes to glare at him, but it was half-hearted in nature. Bringing some noodles to her mouth, she reluctantly ate. "And do you really _want_ parents? What if they tried to make you stop being a hero? Or if they said you couldn't hang out with Nya-chan and the rest of us? Wouldn't that kind of suck?"

Her tail shifted, curling at the end. "Hn. I guess you have a point, sensei."

"Besides, Nya-chan's kind of like a mom, right?" He saw her smile a little and beamed. "See? So you pretty much do have a mom. Don't worry about it."

"When are they going to be back? I want to tell big sister about my date. It was fun before Sonic-sensei ruined it."

"They won't be back for a while. Maybe you can tell her in the morning."

 **Shift P.O.V**

It felt like the longer she stayed in the lab, the worse her anxiety became. Noriko cooperated with the scans and tests, but by the time the doctor asked to examine her scars she wanted nothing more than to run away and never return. _He is being considerate though_ , she thought as he examined the scar across her nose first. The scars on her face were looked at first, followed by the ones on her arms, and then finally the ones on her chest that were not hidden by her makeshift bandage.

Genos had been sent out of the room, more out of concern for Noriko's privacy than anything. Though he had made it clear that he was reluctant to leave her alone, even if it was with his trusted doctor. Kuseno made little notes of each scar; recording the cause, age, and amount of time she thought it took for them to heal. "This large circular one must be from your sparring match with Genos. He told me that you took a direct blast at close range. It's actually amazing that you survived that, let alone that you healed so quickly. I heard that it only took about a week before the wound sealed up. It's remarkable."

"Hn…really? It just felt normal to me," she muttered, her eyes closed.

"Normally, it would take much longer for a wound this deep to heal. But just the fact that you survived it…I can't imagine how painful it must have been."

"I-it wasn't that bad. Um…are we almost done?"

"Almost. You know, when that happened to you, he frantically called me to see if there was anything that I could do to help you. He was afraid that it might have damaged your body irreparably. Of course, there isn't much I can do unless you're actually dying." He wrote a few more notes, examining the width of the scar. "He's told me a lot about you."

"Really?" Noriko's tail twitched back and forth in discomfort as the doctor stepped back.

"He talks about you every time he comes for repairs. It used to be Saitama that was his favorite subject. Sure, he still talks about him sometimes, but you seem to have taken priority. I'm sorry about your family. You know, Genos lost his when he was a little older than you were. While it's sad, I am happy that he met someone like you, Noriko-san. Alright, we're done. I'm sure you want to get out of here."

Noriko pulled her shirt back on and slouched a little. "Hn. So…do I really heal that fast?"

"Yes. I'd say you heal faster than a normal person anyway. It's probably due to the cat DNA in your body. That doesn't mean that you can be reckless though. And regarding what Kenta has planned…I think that it's more dangerous than anyone realizes. With an army of your kind at his command, he could really do some damage. It would be best to take him out as soon as you can to prevent casualties."

She was glad to leave, but was alarmed at what she found in the apartment. Genos had carried her so they could move faster and paused in the doorway when they opened the door. _What are they doing? They look adorable like that._ Noriko stifled a laugh at the scene before her and carefully made her way over.

Saitama was sitting on his futon, frowning down at the child sleeping beside him. Koneko had been watching anime with him and dozed off against his shoulder. It had been a few hours since she fell asleep and every time he thought about getting up, he felt guilty. "Oh. Hey, guys. Can you move her? I need to go to the bathroom."

Snickering a little, Noriko walked over and lifted the child. She settled Koneko near her bag on the floor and pulled her blanket over the girl, watching her nuzzle into it. _For a vicious killer, she looks really cute when she sleeps._ Her own tail twitched a little and she tilted her head. _Even if she's a hero now, she's still a vicious killer, isn't she? She kills monsters like they're nothing._

"Noriko, we will not be able to do what you wanted as long as she is here," Genos pointed out. He frowned down at the catgirls and seemed almost conflicted. "Are you going to be alright or will your heat cycle bother you?"

The fur on her tail bristled in outrage. "I-I don't need that right now! And anyway, it's not like she's a bother. I just want to know why that old woman left."

"She probably won't be gone for too long. Last time it was just a few days," Saitama spoke up, returning to the sitting room. "So what happened?" He saw Noriko's face instantly turn red. "Oh? Wait, did you guys do that right there in the lab?"

"Doctor Kuseno was out of the room when it happened," the cyborg replied bluntly. "I would not want someone else to see Noriko that way."

"But you're somehow okay with me helping her yesterday." He saw the blonde nod and raised an eyebrow. "You're complicated, aren't you? Did you guys eat yet?"

"No. We came straight here from the lab when her examination was over."

The catgirl rummaged in her bag for a clean shirt and was glad to change out of her blood splattered one. Her stomach growled, making her look down and blush faintly. "Hn. I guess I'm hungry. Do we have anything?"

Saitama scratched the back of his head, looking mildly amused. "Well we finished off the rice yesterday and I don't think we have any meat. I guess I should probably go to the store. Want to go with me, Nya-chan?"

"I will go with you both," Genos quickly offered.

"Uh, that wouldn't work out too well. Someone has to stay behind in case Koneko wakes up. I'm sure Nya-chan wouldn't want her to wake up alone and get scared." He saw the defeated expression on the blonde's face, but knew that he really would not mind. "Okay so we'll be back soon. I brought in the mail if you want to open it and burn stuff like you usually do."

Noriko was a little reluctant to walk with the bald hero, her thoughts drifting back to what he had said before she attacked the dog monster. _What I think he said. I still don't know if he actually said that. Why would he? I must've misheard him._

The sun had set and the streets were lit solely by the streetlights. It was usually quiet in their area of the city, but the snow seemed to make it even quieter. Saitama glanced over at her and saw that she was walking with her head down, biting her lip with one fang. "So how are those cuts on your side? Do they hurt at all?"

"I can't really feel them. Not since I took those painkillers." The back of her neck was a little sore from her earlier activity with Genos, her hand absently reaching to rub at it. _I don't know what's weirder; that he actually bit me or that it felt so good. It was almost as good as when Saitama rubbed the spot above my tail. Saitama._ She glanced over at him and saw that he was smiling. "What? Is there something on me?"

"Just glad you're okay. I don't know what we'd do if we lost you. I mean, you cook better than Genos. Don't tell him I said that. You're super durable so you're good in a fight. You get embarrassed pretty easily so you're fun to mess with. And you're comfy."

She snorted, kicking a chunk of snow nonchalantly. "I'm _comfy_? What, like a bed?"

"More like a body pillow. I still can't believe you gave me that for Christmas." He was glad to see her smile. Though he was confident in her fighting abilities, he still worried just a little each time she got injured in a fight.

Her ears shifted back as they continued to walk, considering what she thought she heard him say during her most recent fight. _Considering what he just said, he might've really said that._ She pushed her hands into her pockets, trying to seem casual as she thought over just how to word her question. "Hn. So…what did you say earlier?"

"Huh? What, about the body pillow?"

"No. I mean, back on the mountain. Before I attacked the monster. You said something, but I didn't hear it too well. It sort of sounded like-"

"Oh, that?" Saitama entered the convenience store ahead of her, absently looking at items as he started down an aisle. "You mean when I said I love you."

The tip of her tail twitched. "Oh. So that was what you said."

"Yeah. Wait, did you think I said something else? What did you think I said?" He looked at her over his shoulder and saw her puzzled expression. "What? You have a weird look on your face, Nya-chan."

"Er…well you meant like a friend, right?" Noriko nervously scratched at her wrist, unsure of what else she could say. Until the previous day, she had only ever seen him as her friend. Now things felt different. Slightly awkward, but still natural.

"Uh, no. Like more than a friend. Even if you love your friends, it's kind of weird to say that, right? I don't feel that way about you; I feel like I actually love you. So what do you want for dinner, Nya-chan? They have some instant udon and soba."

"H-how can you just say that so casually though? Just saying those words like they're easy. And you're serious?" One ear perked forward, the other twitching back.

"Yeah, I'm serious. And it's easy to say because it's how I feel. I think I want udon tonight." He grabbed a few packs and turned to find her blushing red. "What? You still have a weird look on your face and now you're turning red. Are you having dirty thoughts or something? Try to keep it together until we're alone at least," he teased her.

Noriko followed him up to the counter, now confused and frustrated. _So he does love me? But why? And how? He knows me better than anyone. He knows every horrible thing that I've done. He knows about my weird relationship with Sonic. So if he knows what a terrible person I really am, why would he love me? I don't deserve this._ Walking outside with him, she began to chew her bottom lip in anxiety. "Hn. I don't get you, Saitama."

"What do you mean? I love you. I didn't really plan to say it, but it kind of slipped out. And when we did that stuff yesterday, it made me realize that maybe I should tell you anyway."

Her ears drew back and she bowed her head. "It's just a little surprising. Were you really planning to never tell me?"

"Well it almost slipped out yesterday. By the way, I don't think Genos knows yet so let's keep this our secret for now. I don't know if he could handle it if he knew." Saitama saw her anxious frown and reached over to ruffle her long violet hair. "Hey, don't look so worried. Everything's going to be fine."

When they returned to the apartment, she parted from him and sat near Koneko's sleeping figure. Noriko watched him hand the groceries to Genos, wondering how the cyborg would react if he knew how his mentor really felt. _I still don't get why he loves me. Even though he knows everything about me. It's baffling._

"Noriko, I found a letter for you in the mail that is from City G. The address is from your old neighborhood so I set it aside for you to read when you returned." Genos set the envelope in front of her and frowned slightly. "Are you alright? Did something happen while you were gone?"

"No…I'm just tired." She lifted the envelope and raised an eyebrow at the sender's name. _It seems sort of familiar. Did I have a classmate with this name?_ A yawn escaped her, the girl's fangs bared for a moment. Setting the letter aside, she determined to look at it the next day once everything was settled with Koneko. _We have to find the old woman_ , she thought as she curled up beside the child. _And we need to figure out how to deal with Kenta…that coward._ Noriko felt a presence draw close to her side and purred softly when a cold metal hand pushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear. Her cheek rubbed against the hand briefly before sleep took over.


	82. Chapter 82

_Things have never been this chaotic before when I went into my heat cycle._ Noriko was sitting at the balcony door, staring out at the snow with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Koneko had left after breakfast with plans to get Mumen Rider to help her search for the rancher. Now the older catgirl was left alone with her roommates, who were currently going about their day like it was any other day. _When I was in the lab, I was left alone during my heat cycle. When I was traveling and looking for Koneko, I would just stay in the wilderness during the cycle. I guess…at least I'm with them instead of someone else. But it's still weird._

"What're you looking at? Is there something out there?" Saitama asked. He had just finished a bath and walked over to look past her. "Is this like that cat thing where they just stare at something?"

Her ears flattened and she sighed. "I guess so. I'm not looking at anything in particular."

Behind them, Genos was cleaning the kitchen. He glanced over when he heard his mentor's voice, having not realized he was in the room, and paused in his actions. The way that Saitama was looking at Noriko seemed different somehow. Though the cyborg was unable to place what it was, he knew that it made him feel a pang of jealousy. "Master Saitama, are you leaving to run errands today?"

"Huh? Probably not. Looks pretty cold outside today. Maybe we should just stay in." Saitama looked toward the cyborg and saw him frowning slightly. "What's up? You look like something's wrong."

Noriko's tail shifted side to side as a horrifying yowl escaped her. She quickly covered her mouth and gritted her teeth to prevent the sound from leaving her again. _What the hell was that?! What is this? Something feels 'off'._ The girl knew that the others were looking at her. She could feel their stares of confusion and slouched a little. Opening her mouth, even to assure them that everything was alright, would risk releasing another yowl as she could feel one working its way up her throat. _What's wrong with me? I feel…warm and tingly._

"I detect something rapidly approaching the apartment. Should I deal with Sonic myself or would you like to, Master Saitama?"

Her cheeks turned red and the catgirl bowed her head, heart racing. _Sonic. Why can't he just leave me alone right now?! This is the third day of my heat and the third day of him somehow finding a way to harass me! And the first two days he didn't even know!_ Noriko moved her hand away cautiously, only for another yowl to leave her.

Saitama looked over upon hearing the sound and his deadpan expression slowly evolved into a smile. He sat beside her, not even trying to hide his amusement. "Are you yowling because you know Sonic's out there?"

"Hn…I-I don't know why that would make me yowl," she growled. She was thankful when the hero stroked behind her nicked ear, purring now instead of yowling. Her face rubbed against his hand, her body growing warmer. "Hngh~"

"Cute. You want to do something fun, Nya-chan?"

"Please hold off until I finish dealing with Sonic. I will try to make this fast." Genos set his apron aside and started toward the door, but paused before he reached it. "Or do you think it would be best to ignore him? If you cannot hold back, we can ignore him, Noriko."

She felt her tail curl at the end and moved out from beneath her blanket, acting on instinct. Noriko closed her eyes, embarrassment making her face flush red as she pulled herself onto her friend's lap so she faced him. Her forehead rested against his shoulder for a moment, still purring as he continued to pet behind her ear. When she began to nuzzle against the side of his neck, she heard Genos move away from the door. _Saitama feels so warm. Damn it. This is really embarrassing! All it takes is a few pets and I get like this?! I feel so weak right now! We can't do something like this right now though! Sonic is outside of the apartment. I can feel it. Why does that make me feel tingly?_

Genos crossed the apartment to where Noriko and Saitama were, moving to sit on the floor behind the girl. He watched her nuzzle her cheek into the man's neck, purring as her tail moved side to side. Reaching over, his metal fingertips lightly brushed over the spot above her tail. Her back arched, a quiet gasp leaving her lips. "Noriko, are you going to have Master Saitama help you with your heat cycle again?"

"I don't mind," the man spoke up. "But if you don't, I'll need some time by myself."

"Hnyah~ I don't…I don't know," the catgirl replied. She was panting, struggling to maintain her composure under the peculiar circumstances. The combined sensations of her ear and the spot above the base of her tail being rubbed made her body heat almost unbearably. Her sharp green eyes snapped open wide when she felt lips brush her other ear, a hard metal chest pressed against her back. "G-Genos?"

"If you are having trouble deciding, we could both help you to feel satisfied."

 _I haven't even had time to process Saitama saying that he loves me! How am I supposed to deal with hearing him say that?! And why did hearing him say that make me feel even warmer?_ A pleasant shiver ran through her and she half-closed her eyes. "Hn…h-how would that even work?"

"Yeah, I was never really clear on that either. You keep saying stuff like that, but what are you thinking about, Genos?" Saitama averted his gaze, a little unsettled by how close the blonde's face was to his. "And can you maybe move back? You're too close."

He frowned, staring directly at his mentor. "If I am too close, you could move back."

"Okay, I'm pretty sure you're trying to start something this time."

"I am saying that if you do not want to be close to me, then you can leave this task to me and I can satisfy Noriko." He put an arm around her from behind and let his fingertips trace up from her stomach. His hand found her right breast and massaged gently, making her throw her head back and moan loudly in pleasure. With minimal effort, he managed to pull her tank top off over her head. She had worn it to sleep in so now her bare skin was exposed to the cold air in the apartment, making the peaks of her breasts grow stiff. The blonde leaned down, kissing the side of her neck while caressing a peak with his fingertips. "What do you think, Noriko?"

The chilled surface of his fingers brought goose bumps to her skin, her lust growing as he toyed with her nipple. _It was embarrassing enough before he did this! What am I supposed to say?!_ She could feel the heat of Saitama's skin through both their clothes and it was making her desire increase almost intolerably. As the cyborg's other hand went to her left breast, Noriko ground her hips down onto Saitama's. "I just…I just need something…in there…right now!" she answered, panting.

"What? _Here_?" The hero's hand slipped between them to the heat between her legs and pressed there gently. "Wow. It feels warmer today. And your shorts feel kind of-"

"D-don't say that! It's embarrassing!" she protested.

"You're so turned on that you got this wet? So you really want something in here, huh? It's like that hunger thing you were talking about?" He pushed the divider of her shorts and panties aside, smiling when her warm skin came into contact with his. "Like _this_?"

She felt one finger slide into her with easy and threw her head back again, releasing a yowling moan. A mouth went to the side of her neck while the hero drew his finger out a little and then pushed back in. The rhythm was slow and gentle, but the heat in her lower half was quickly building. A knot of pleasure was tightening there and threatening to come undone at any moment. The way that her nipples were being massaged and tugged did not help matters. Her hands went to the man's back, her nails digging in as she reached her climax. The catgirl's face turned bright red as her muscles spasmed around his finger and coated it with her juices. "S-Saitama…that was…right in front of Genos…"

Not to be forgotten, the blonde now lifted her off of his mentor's lap. She turned her head to the side as her shorts and panties slid down her legs, lying on her back on the floor and unsure of what was going to happen. "I can help to satisfy your heat, too. Let me try something different." He gently pushed her legs aside and brought his face close to her wet opening. A glance toward Saitama showed that he was watching, but looked a little uninterested. Without a warning, Genos leaned down and drew his tongue along her slit. He moved quickly to pin her hips down when her back arched, not wanting her to hurt herself thrusting up.

Her eyes closed tightly as he repeated the action, her fingers running through his hair and quiet moans slipping from her. She did not hear her friend move until her upper half was being propped up on his lap. His warm hands rubbed her breasts, magnifying the pleasure being caused by the blonde. Noriko felt his tongue trail up her wet lower lips again before stopping to press against her clit, rubbing circles there. She subconsciously moved her hips to grind against his tongue, the friction making her heart race and her body heat up. "Hnnnyah~ It's too much! Ngh! I-I can't…aaaah~!" Her fingers pulled lightly at his hair as her opening clenched in orgasm. When a finger slid into her for her muscles to grip, it made it that much better. "Genos~"

"Uh, I'm here, too." Saitama looked down at her and felt his heart beat a little faster. She was looking up at him through strands of long violet hair, blushing and panting from her climax. "You don't look totally satisfied though, Nya-chan. You want more, right?"

She was still recovering from her climax, trying to regain her composure. "I…I'm not…sure…" she muttered, shifting her eyes away from his.

"Do you want more, Noriko? If you have had enough, then tell us."

Meeting the gold and black eyes of her boyfriend, she began to blush again. "G-Genos, how exactly would-?"

"You want to try it with both of us," he interrupted. Instantly, she turned the most vibrant shade of red he had ever seen her turn. "I can show you."

Noriko was trembling with nervousness as he undressed, not even able to appreciate the comical way in which Saitama reacted. She was quickly on his lap, facing away from him with his hands gripping her hips. "Hn…I'm not sure what you're thinking…"

"If Master Saitama wants to take part in this, then-"

"Wait a minute. No, I see what you're getting at now. I mean, I guess I'm okay with that if Nya-chan's okay with it. What do you think, Nya-chan?"

Her feline ears drew back and down in shame as she considered what was being implied. She could feel the tip of her boyfriend's member rubbing circles around her opening and quivered. "Y-yes…we can try it," she conceded.

"Hey, if you're not satisfied afterwards we could always trade places, right?"

Noriko closed her eyes, hearing a rustle of cloth as he undressed. When he finished, her hips were pulled down abruptly and the metal cock was sheathed within her warmth. Her muscles stretched around him, the tip rubbing against that particular spot in her that sent waves of heat through her body. The girl's lips parted to release a moan and opened her eyes to find her friend waiting. Shifting her gaze away out of shame, she cautiously leaned forward to give his member a lick. _I've only ever done that with Sonic though. And I'm pretty sure Saitama is bigger. This is kind of awkward._ One hand gently gripped him while she continued to lick. A glance toward his face showed that he seemed to enjoy it. Noriko repeated the action a few times before experimentally putting the head of his member in her mouth. When he tensed, she felt a certain rush of power from seeing his reaction. _I hope he likes it…_

The hero half-closed his eyes, loving the sensation of her wet mouth sliding along his length. Just seeing the expression on her face was almost enough to push him toward a climax. His fingers ran through her long violet hair tenderly as he cautiously thrust his hips forward. It was shortly after that he saw a very subtle clue from Genos that things were about to change. When the cyborg began thrusting up and into her, Noriko released moans that were muffled by his cock and sent vibrations through his member. It was an odd, but pleasant feeling that made him bite back a groan.

She had never felt such a perfect mixture of shame and pleasure before in her life. Her fingertips trailed over her friend's skin as she continued to take his length past her lips. The metal cock being pounded into her from below was pushing her closer and closer to the edge as it repeatedly struck that spot within her. Her breasts bounced with each thrust from Genos and the peaks occasionally brushed Saitama's skin as pleasure coursed through her veins. Each time he pulled out even a little, there was a wet squishing sound that made her blush. _I can't believe I'm doing this! I'm doing this with Genos and Saitama! Why are all three of us doing this? It's so embarrassing!_

Her moans felt good against his skin, but he wanted to try something different. With just a little caution, Saitama reached behind her nicked feline ear and started to rub there. She purred and he instantly felt his orgasm hit. He had a split second to decide between pushing her away or releasing into her. The decision was made when he glanced around and found nothing to mop it up with. He continued to caress her ear, his seed spilling down her throat.

When she felt him draw out of her, Noriko nuzzled her cheek against the side of his leg out of instinct. _What am I doing?! As if it wasn't embarrassing enough to that, now I'm trying to cuddle with him while Genos is still-!_ She moaned lowly as his pace increased. He was moving her now to her hands and knees, hammering his member into her from behind while he held her waist. The catgirl yowled and moaned in response, her hips thrusting back to meet his and drive him deeper into her opening. She could feel her own juices leaking out a little around him, too aroused by the situation she was in. To her further embarrassment, Saitama sat in front of her and smiled before leaning down to kiss her forehead.

"That felt pretty good, but I still want to trade places. Is that okay with you, Nya-chan?"

"Hnnn….y-yeah." Though she was not about to admit, she did want to feel her friend inside of her again. Genos was pushing her closer and closer to her climax. When it finally hit, her muscles spasmed wildly around his cock and she bit back a moan.

The blonde leaned back, pulling her with him so she leaned against his chest. His own climax had come as well, filling her with warm lubrication. His free hand moved between her lower lips and rubbed at her clit, making her squirm on his lap. "Noriko, do you want to go again? I have the stamina to continue if you are not satisfied."

Bowing her head, she let long strands of violet hair fall to hide her humiliation. "I-I do want to go again. Um. Can you trade places?"

His lips brushed her feline ear and he felt her tense against him. "I have another position in mind. Now that I have released lubrication, it should be easier for me to try a different position that I learned about in research. Do you want to try something new?"


	83. Chapter 83

Sharp nails sank into flesh, but seemed to have no effect on the man. Hands gripped the girl's shoulders with as much care as possible, wary of the amount of strength he used. Noriko's eyes clenched shut, her teeth gritted to silence any sounds that threatened to escape her. Another set of hands, cold and metal, held her waist from behind. She could feel her heart racing almost painfully, her body responding to their touches. Her hips rolled up to meet her friend's and felt him push deeper into her core, rubbing her inner walls in a way that made her nails sink in deeper. At the same time, she felt another set of hips push against the back of hers.

A sound forced its way past her lips and she threw her head back against her boyfriend's shoulder. It hurt, but briefly drew her attention away from the situation. The catgirl felt one of his hands wander up from her waist, cupping her breast and rubbing gently. Her back arched and she gasped in pleasure. _I can't believe we're doing this right now! This is beyond embarrassing! I never thought I'd be doing something like this! It feels so full, but it feels really good!_

Her lower lips were stretched around her friend's member while her boyfriend's was pushing in and out of her back opening. She had been cautious to take part in what Genos suggested and was still a little unsure, but the feeling of both bodies against hers felt almost reassuring. Noriko closed her eyes, not wanting to face Saitama as the warmth in her lower half grew. Her climax was drawing near and the moans that left her were growing louder. When she felt metal fingers move down from her hip, she tensed. "G-Genos, what-?" A fingertip pressed against her clit and her hips snapped forward against Saitama's.

"Wait a minute, don't do that, Genos. I don't want-" It was too late. He felt cold metal brush warm sensitive skin and he winced. "I'm not into guys, Genos! Don't touch it!"

"I was trying to help Noriko." The blonde rubbed at the bundle of nerves, equally unsettled by the male skin touching his fingers. When he felt her whole body tense, he leaned down to the side of her neck. His mouth brushed over her pale skin, nipping lightly as he felt her muscles tighten around his cock. The hand on her breast moved to gently pinch at her nipple to draw out her pleasure. When she fell limp against his chest, he finally reached his own climax.

Wanting to get as far from the cyborg as possible now, the hero lifted Noriko off of him and moved to his futon. She clung to him tightly, face nuzzling against the side of his neck to hide her blush. "So are you almost satisfied?" he asked her, smiling at the girl.

"Hn. A-almost," she replied, a purr accompanying her words. Noriko felt an urge and tried to ignore it as he continued to thrust into her. _I can't do that! I don't want to do that! But I want to so badly! Damn it!_ Leaning into his neck further, she let her teeth sink into his skin. _Why am I doing this?! Why did I want to do this? But he hasn't pushed me away yet. Why?_ A loud moan forced its way up her throat and was muffled against his skin as her opening spasmed around him in orgasm. Her nails sank deeper into his shoulders and when she pulled her teeth from his skin, she threw her head back and screamed in ecstasy. "Hnnyah~ S-Saitama!"

"There it is. That felt really good, huh? Did biting me help? You're gripping me tighter than last time." His hold on her waist tightened as his own climax hit and his seed spilled into her. She went limp against his chest, breathing hard and blushed red. He reached up to pet behind her ear and then let his hand trail along her spine. "That felt better than last time, even if it was kind of awkward. Genos, I don't know if I want to do it that way again. I mean, if we do, you have to not put your hand near me, okay? That was weird."

Noriko took a long moment in the bath to soak, letting the warm water try to wash away her embarrassment. Her ears were drawn back in irritation, her tail draped over the edge of the tub. She closed her eyes and took a shaky breath as she tried to calm herself. The activities had been exhilarating, her heat-induced lust quelled for the moment, but she knew that it was not normal. _What does this mean?_ The catgirl leaned her head back and looked up at the ceiling, her tail's tip twitching slightly. _I just slept with both of them. I'm only dating one of them. Saitama said that he loves me. How do I even feel about him? I love Genos. I know that I do. Until a few days ago, I only saw Saitama as a friend, but that's starting to change. So what do I see him as now?_ She got out of the bath, feeling perplexed. When she was dressed, she determined to go outside. Her lust seemed to be sated for the time being so even if she ran into Sonic, she was more likely to fight him than try to sleep with him.

Noriko was lucky that when she stepped out of the bathroom, both heroes were gone. A note sat on the table stating that they had both gone to fight a monster in City M, but wanted her to stay home. "Hn. Not going to happen." She was pleasantly surprised to find it warmer than usual when she went outside. Snow was melting and dripping from the balconies of the other buildings, providing a calming yet constant sound. Smiling, she set off down the street.

Though she had no concrete plans for what she would do or where she would go, the girl soon found herself wandering to the usual park. Despite the nice weather, she was the only person there and was thus able to sit on one of the swings without worry of being glared at. Rummaging in her pocket, she found the envelope that Genos had given her the day before. _This name. Takenaka Ichirou. It's so familiar, but I can't place it. Who is this person?_ She carefully tore open the envelope and removed the letter with trepidation.

Reading through the letter made her eyes burn with tears, her heart racing with anxiety. She slouched on the swing, her hands trembling. "Ichirou-kun." The name was said in a sad tone as a memory popped into her head. A memory of feeding stray cats with a boy her age. Another memory of the boy walking to school with her. _He's been watching me on the news and on Hero Gossip. He's been tending to my family's graves._ Tears slid down her cheeks and she felt her chest grow tight. "Damn it…Ichirou-kun…"

"Who's Ichirou?" The voice came from right behind her, making her jump a little and nearly fall off of the swing. Sonic gripped the chains to either side of her, steadying it. "Well?"

Noriko refused to look at him, her gaze fixed on the paper in her hands. "It doesn't concern you. Can you just leave me alone today? I don't feel like fighting you right now."

"Who said I was here to fight? Now tell me who Ichirou is."

A low growl emanated from the back of her throat, her tail twitching side to side. "He was my friend when I was a kid, okay? We were best friends and he was there when I first met that creep Kenta." The girl stood and started to walk away from the swings, shoving her hands into her pockets. She knew he was behind her. _He won't just walk away; he fixates. He wants to know if I dated Ichirou. He wants something._

The man followed her, not really caring that she had gone silent. What bothered him more was the way she seemed unable to stop crying. Though she was not sobbing, tears were streaming down her cheeks. He had intended to confront her about the horrible sounds he heard coming from Saitama's apartment. Well, what he considered horrible. "Where are you going? Are you going back to your precious boyfriend and Saitama?" he taunted, momentarily forgetting the girl's despair.

She looked at him over her shoulder and wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "Hn. No, I'm not sure where I'm going." Pausing on a street corner, she sighed. _I don't want to go home anyway. Not when I feel like this. I don't want to worry Genos and Saitama. I feel pathetic right now._ She continued down the street and saw him move to walk beside her from the corner of her eye. "Don't you have better things to do?"

"What could be better than taking Saitama's girlfriend from him? How do you think he would react if you quit being a hero and joined me, Noriko?"

"I'm not doing that!" she snapped. The thought of going on assassination jobs with Sonic again made her stomach turn, but also filled her with a rush of excitement. "And do you really think you have a chance of taking me from him? Even if I was dating Saitama, I can't be swayed that easily." The girl tensed when his hand moved to grab hers. His skin was pleasantly warm against her cold hand. _Damn it. I don't want to be alone with him, but when he does stuff like this it makes it difficult to hate him._

"You have a major, obvious weakness that I could exploit if I wanted to. And I'm pretty sure it wouldn't take much to convince her to come with me if I had to. I don't think I'd even need to use your weakness. You can't resist me."

Her ears flattened in anger. "Don't act so full of yourself." She tried to pull her hand away from his, but his fingers tightened on hers. The girl's cheeks burned with a blush and she kept her eyes focused on the street ahead of them. Holding hands with the ninja reminded her of their time in City G. For a few days, they had acted like a couple with no interruptions and it had felt almost normal. _Until that last day_ , she thought with a frown. _What am I doing? I'm just wandering aimlessly with Sonic now. What if someone sees this?_

Despite her worry, she found herself walking along beside him down the sidewalk even in the busier part of the city. Just as she worried, she did see someone she knew and quickly bowed her head when her eyes met theirs. Her heart raced with panic when she passed Mumen Rider, anxiety twisting her stomach into knots. Reaching a busy street corner, she sighed in frustration. "Look, we can't walk together! I can't be around you!"

"Why not? What? Are you afraid of being kicked out of that association?" he taunted.

She was a little worried about that, but a little more worried about her roommates hearing about them walking together. _The Hero Association would probably assume that he kidnapped me again or I'm being held hostage. They have trouble thinking that I might be involved with an assassin, but they have no trouble jumping down my throat about getting into a fight with a Genos fan._ Shifting her gaze to Sonic, she found herself blushing again. He was looking at her and smirked when he saw her blush. "Wh-what?" She yelped as she was suddenly led down the street toward an alley and pushed inside.

He had her pinned against the wall with little effort, leaning down to crush her lips with his. Seeing her blush had made him want to make her blush more. When his body was flush against hers, he was amused to feel her grind against him. Breaking the kiss, he grinned down at her. "Didn't I say that you can't resist me? I'm turning you on and I haven't even done anything yet." His fingers ran through her hair and felt her shudder beneath his touch. "Do you want to cut our date short and take this somewhere private?"

Noriko turned her head to the side and coiled her tail partially around his leg. Though her heat had mostly been quelled, she could feel her body growing warm and tingly. "Hn. At what point did this turn into a date?"

"When wasn't it a date?" he countered. Leaning down to her feline ear, his warm breath tickled it. "I can't resist you and you can't resist me. So why don't you stop lying to yourself? You know that you loved going on jobs with me, Noriko. I could see it in your eyes every time you killed one of those pathetic worms. You enjoy the hunt as much as I do."

It was hard for her to admit, but she had greatly enjoyed hunting down their targets when they went on assassination jobs. Worse, it fed her feline prey drive and made her feel strangely satisfied each time she caught a target. "Heroes don't kill innocent people," she stated firmly. "I'm not going to quit being a hero just because you want someone to go with you on jobs." At the back of her mind, she knew that she would never live it down if Koneko knew she had done such a thing. To quit the Hero Association to become an assassin was absolutely out of the question for her.

"You don't know what they might've done," he pointed out. "I know you'll change your mind. You won't be able to resist the urge to hunt down vermin." A ringtone sounded from his pocket and he frowned. Pulling away, he answered the call. "You need something? No, that option is no longer available. My partner Hina isn't working today." Sonic glanced toward her and began to grin. "Maybe for a negotiable price. Let me hear the job first."

Noriko crossed her arms and listened to him talk to the person on the other line, her mouth twisting into a scowl. _If I go with him, I'll be going against my own morals. I said I'd never do something like that again. But…he's right. It was sort of fun, even if it was wrong._

Despair began to bubble up inside of her once more as she remembered the letter from her childhood friend. He had told her about watching her on the news, tracking her hero accomplishments, tending to the graves, and also a few things that made her remember the night Kenta took her. He had talked about the day's details that had led to Kenta's horrible actions, though he was probably doing it with good intentions. She knew that he was just trying to show that he had been worried about her, but it only reminded her of the pain she had felt that night. Before she could stop herself, Noriko turned to Sonic and spoke. "What's the job?"

He raised an eyebrow and his grin grew almost wicked in nature. "You're interested now? What changed your mind?"

"It doesn't matter, okay?! Just tell me what the job is before I change my mind."

Stepping closer to her, he let his free hand grip her chin to make sure she was looking at him. "You do remember what I get out of taking you on jobs, don't you? I get to claim my reward afterwards."

She growled, but resisted the urge to snap her teeth at his face. "It's on the table, alright? We'll see how the job goes first."

Sonic instantly recognized why she had agreed to go with him. She needed a way to vent some frustration. That was fine because for the past two days, he had felt sort of cheated. They could both work off their frustration and end the day perfectly. "We'll see about doing it on the table," he teased her. Releasing the girl's chin, he returned his attention to the phone call. "Fine. Hina agreed to join me. We'll be there in ten minutes so don't make us wait. There's going to be an additional fee for Hina's cooperation so make sure you bring an extra third of the original price."

Noriko winced each time he referred to her as 'Hina'. It felt odd to be called that after going by Noriko for a few years and Project Nya for years before that. She barely recognized it as part of her original name. _I'm definitely going to regret this. Maybe if I can get away before we finish the job, I can get out of giving him that reward. I just need this distraction right now to help me clear my head._

The ninja lifted her with ease, ignoring her sharp yelp of surprise. He put her over his shoulder and sped down the street, passing various normal citizens. His thoughts shifted between the task they were about to begin and what would follow. Of course, he remembered what she had said the day before when Saitama had more or less told him that they had had sex. She was in heat. So there was no doubt that she would be more than happy to stay with him for a longer amount of time once they were finished with the job. With thoughts of his reward in mind, he smirked and planned how best to finish the job quickly.


	84. Chapter 84

The smell of blood was heavy in the air as Noriko stealthily crossed the room, checking for survivors. Her feline ears were perked forward in alertness, tail slowly swaying side to side as she scanned the room for signs of movement. It was another simple job of clearing squatters out of a recently purchased building, but this group of squatters happened to put up more of a fight than the last ones. She had taken a little damage; a few cuts and bruises that would heal quickly. The floor she was on was near the top of the building so she was making one last check before planning to go to the lobby to meet Sonic.

 _Do I really want to though? I know what will happen if I meet up with him. He'll demand a reward for taking me on this job, even though I already told him that I don't need the money. This was just to blow off some frustration._ She ran her fingers through her hair, sighing as she looked around one more time. When Noriko was satisfied that there were no living squatters on the level, she took the maintenance stairs to check the other floors.

Stepping out into a hallway, she was greeted by the metallic aroma of blood. Even in the dim light, the catgirl could clearly see outlines of horrible things on the tiled floor. Body parts. Bodies. A few corpses could be seen halfway through doorways. She wrinkled her nose in disgust at both the mess and at herself. She could feel adrenaline still pumping through her veins, a desire for more prey to appear so she could take them down. Worse than wishing for more prey was the sudden thought that assassins had more freedom to work as pleased. _I'm sure that if the Hero Association sent me to do something like this, I would need to bring them in alive. I can't imagine trying to round up all of these idiots._

The rest of the floors were empty until she reached the third floor. Noriko immediately felt that she was not alone. When her eyes landed on a certain silhouette, she felt her heart begin to race. She recognized them and quickly sheathed her blades as she tried to duck into a doorway. It was too late. They saw her and did the worst possible thing they could do. They began to run down the hallway to try to get to cover. _No, no, no! Why would you run?! Don't you know what happens when you run from a predator?_

She sprinted after them, fighting the urge to unsheathe her swords. The figure had ducked around a corner so she had to pause for a moment, her tail swishing faster behind her. The girl knew the floor fairly well from hunting squatters there earlier so she was able to take a shortcut and launched herself onto their back. He fell to the floor with a quiet grunt, the catgirl perched on his back and now fighting the urge to maul him. "You shouldn't be here!" she hissed, leaning down to his ear. "What do you think you'll achieve by coming here?"

"Noriko-san, I know that this isn't you! I came here to make sure you were alright!"

"You saw me with Sonic and wanted to lecture me! That's why you're really here!" The two struggled and she was flipped onto her back, her upper arms being held down tightly. "What?! Just get it over with! I _know_ that what I'm doing is wrong! Go ahead and say it!"

His helmet had been knocked off when she tackled him and his goggles were askew, but he could still see the tears in her eyes. More than tears. There was a struggle going on within her and it brought a deep frown to his face. "Noriko, listen to me! I didn't come here to lecture you, even if what you're doing is wrong! I came to make sure you're alright! I came here as a friend!"

The girl stared up at him, tears trailing down the sides of her face. "You…were worried? Really? As a friend?"

"Yes! Where is he? Was he with you?"

"N-no. Hn. Sonic was going to meet me in the lobby, but I-"

"I'm not letting you go with him. I won't let you keep hurting yourself this way. Come on." Mumen Rider stood, pulling her up with him and steadying her. "I know what happened here, but my number one priority right now is to get you to safety. We can talk about this later."

"C…cats have…needs," she muttered, letting him lead her toward the maintenance stairs.

"We'll talk about it later. It's important that we get out of here before he shows up." He held her hand tightly, navigating his way down to the lobby level. When he abruptly ran into a wall in the darkness, he felt Noriko take the lead. "Sorry."

"It's fine. Hang onto me." She had no trouble spotting the exit, but froze when she saw the figure blocking it. Sharp green eyes met grey ones and her tail flicked in agitation. A low snarling started at the back of her throat and became vocalized when she saw Sonic's grin.

"We're supposed to be clearing the building out, not bringing in more trash," he taunted.

"Move before I _make_ you move," she growled. Noriko barely had time to react when she caught a flash of movement. She blocked his access to Mumen Rider and unsheathed both swords, raising them to block the downward sweep of a katana. Shoving her weight forward, she pushed him back and away from them. "Just what the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"Don't tell me you're protecting that weak little hero. Why do you care what happens to him? You do realize that he came here to _stop_ you, right? If we let him live, he'll go running the Hero Association and tell them what you did. Is that what you want?"

"He's my friend! I'm not going to let you hurt him!" To her horror, his grin was growing. Noriko gritted her teeth and braced herself for another attack.

When he did come at her again, it was from behind. "Who said I'd stop at _hurting_ him? If I really want to shut him up, he can't stay alive." He kicked her in the back hard, sending her skidding over the tiles and into the wall.

Noriko twisted to avoid smashing her face and quickly ran at him. Her friend was doing his best to try to fend him off, but could not keep up with his speed. Silently thanking Saitama for his strength training, she drew back her swords as if to pierce the ninja's chest. He dodged back, but grabbed Mumen Rider by the arm and smashed him into the wall. The girl heard a cry of pain and it ignited her anger. Noriko pursued Sonic, angrily slashing and charging at him with no regard for her own safety.

Though he had been eager to get his reward once their job was done, he found himself amused by this turn of events. Sonic had no idea why she had suddenly turned against him, but it was providing a decent fight. She was stronger and faster than she had been the last time they fought. He was enjoying himself, but he was still eagerly awaiting his reward. It would prove only sweeter when he was able to take it after their battle. The problem now was getting her to stop without actually hurting her. Knocking her out did cross his mind as he dodged her blades and lunged in to attack.

Warm blood spilled down her upper arm, but it only urged her on. She twisted in time to avoid the katana piercing through her chest and moved in to get closer to Sonic. A hand gripped her arm to pull her out of the way of the blade as Mumen Rider got between the two. Another cry of pain left him as the katana slid through his shoulder. Blood came rushing out when Sonic pulled free, jumping back to watch the reaction. To Noriko's amazement, the hero merely gritted his teeth against the pain and pursued him. She saw him try to punch Sonic and grimaced. _Does he really think he can catch him?! Damn it!_

 **Shift P.O.V**

Saitama was a little worried when he and Genos returned from City M. Their roommate was nowhere to be found and had not left a note saying where she was or how long she would be gone. "Do you think she's fighting a monster or something?" he asked from his seat near the television. He was randomly flipping through channels, wondering if she might be on the news.

Genos was considerably more worried. Immediately upon finding her gone, he had wanted to go searching for the girl. Saitama talked him out of it, swearing that she would be back soon. Of course, that did not stop him from glancing over at the door every so often. "If she went to fight a monster, I am sure that she would have called us."

"I'm pretty sure she can fight a monster on her own. And if it's bad enough, wouldn't the Hero Association call you? I'm sure she's fine. Maybe she just went out for a walk." A pounding at the apartment door drew his attention and made him frown. "Ugh. If that's Sonic again-"

"I do not detect rapid movement. I will handle this, Master Saitama." Genos moved to the apartment door and opened it to find two figures. Noriko looked moderately battered and Mumen Rider was fading in and out of consciousness as he leaned against her for support. "Noriko?"

"I-I'm sorry, but I had to get him somewhere safe. Sonic…um…I-I knocked him out somehow and…we're not doing too well. Can you patch him up?" The girl gave him a hopeful look, her body shaking as she struggled to support the other hero.

Saitama wandered over to the door and raised an eyebrow. "Wait. Did I hear that right? You knocked out Sonic?" Looking the girl up and down, his expression turned serious. "Genos, can you take Mumen Rider to the hospital? That looks pretty bad. Here, Nya-chan, you can lean on me. What happened to your arm?"

She appeared a bit wary, but leaned against his side, letting him half-carry her into the apartment. Her ears drew back in embarrassment as she heard Genos leave with the other hero, leaving her alone with her friend. "Hn. It's just my upper arm. It's not a big deal." She sat on the floor at the table, slouching as he went to grab the medical kit.

"There's more than the one cut, Nya-chan. Sonic must've been pretty serious about taking you this time, huh? So how did Mumen Rider get involved?" He sat beside her and smiled as he began cleaning the cut on her arm. _She looks cute when her ears go back like that. Maybe too cute. She's starting to blush, too. Wait. Why is she blushing?_ His smile started to fade rapidly and he paused in his actions to tilt his head. "Nya-chan, you didn't go with Sonic, right?"

Her tail flicked and she slouched even more. Staring down at the table's surface, she growled in frustration. "I…I have a _problem_ , okay?! I don't know why I keep ending up around him, but I do! I fought him today though and I won! So…on that note…I should be thanking you for helping me strength train."

He sighed, but resumed tending to her wounded arm. "I don't like that you keep ending up around him. I mean, I get that he fixates and he probably tracked you down, right? I doubt that you went looking for him."

"I wouldn't!" Noriko ruffled her hair now as he finished bandaging the cut. "Mumen Rider saw me walking with him and he followed us because he wanted to help me. He thought I needed _help_ , Saitama. And then he got hurt that much. I tried to protect him and I _failed_ him! What kind of horrible friend am I?!"

The man sat in silence for a long moment, watching the catgirl. "You didn't really fail. At least you tried. And hey, you managed to get him away from there in one piece. That's something. I'm sure Koneko will be happy that you kept him alive. You did your best, right?" She nodded once. "That's all you can really do. If it's any consolation, I'm proud of you."

"Th-thanks. I guess. I just hope he'll be alright." She moved to her bag and rummaged around for a clean shirt, her back to the hero.

He watched her slide the old shirt off and let his gaze drift over the smooth, pale skin of her back and shoulders. She was wearing a black bra and he was able to see the curve of her bust when she turned a little. _We should've just gone with Genos. I don't want to do something while he's gone; he might get upset like last time._

 **Shift P.O.V**

When she had a clean shirt on, she turned slightly to look over her shoulder at her friend. More than anything, she wanted to sleep now. The fight had been taxing on her body, especially after her earlier activities with her roommates. _I can't just curl up and sleep on the floor though. I don't want them to think that I'm weak._ Recalling her fierce battle with Sonic made her wince. There had been times when he had gotten close to knocking her out, but she had fought through the pain to protect Mumen Rider.

Saitama yawned loudly and scratched at his stomach beneath his shirt. "Hey. Are you tired? You look kind of tired, Nya-chan."

"I'm not weak," she immediately responded. Blushing pink, she shook her head and turned away again. "I mean I'm not tired. It's not even night time."

"Yeah, but don't cats like sleeping in the sun?" He raised an eyebrow and smiled when she shrugged. "There's some sunlight on my futon. I'm going to take a nap while we wait for Genos to come back."

Her tail twitched to the side and she absently chewed at her thumbnail with a fang. "You know, if you sleep now you won't sleep at night." She yelped a little when she felt an arm wrap around her midsection from behind and drag her toward the futon. The girl's ears drew back as blood rushed to her cheeks. "I'm not tired," she muttered as she landed on her back on the soft surface with him beside her.

"Yeah, but it still feels good, right?" Saitama stretched a little, yawning. He saw her still looking a little tense and smiled. "You don't have to look so nervous, Nya-chan. What? Do you need me to pet you to help you relax?" he teased. Leaning over, he rubbed behind one of her ears. The purring brought him satisfaction and when she rubbed her cheek against his hand, his smile grew a little. "There we go. See? Doesn't it feel better?"

To her embarrassment, Noriko found herself turning onto her side and drawing closer to him. Her left arm went across his chest and she leaned up on instinct to rub her cheek against his neck. "S-sorry. It's a cat thing."

"It feels nice though." His attention was being split between her face near his neck and the way her body felt against his side. Her soft chest was pressing on his side, her left leg draped over his. The hero's right hand moved down from her feline ear to trail through her long violet hair. He gently pulled her face away from his neck, careful not to use too much strength, and brought her lips down onto his.

She tensed for a moment, eyes wide, but slowly relaxed. The feeling of his warm fingertips over her scalp was calming and the kiss made her heart race. _He said before that he loves me. I still don't understand why. How long did he feel this way? Wasn't it hard for him to watch me and Genos? I feel so bad now for every time Genos and I were like this around him. How could he still love me after that? And knowing about my problem with Sonic._ She felt his free hand on her upper back, slowly trailing down and over the spot above her tail. Noriko bit her lip to keep from yowling, but her back arched and her lower half pushed against him.

Saitama pulled away a little, smiling at the girl. She was watching him through half-closed eyes, her cheeks red with a blush. "You've still got four days left of your heat cycle, right? I don't want this to end in four days, Nya-chan."


	85. Chapter 85

The friendship that the girl offered was a welcome change from the way people normally treated him. His classmates treated him as if he carried a disease, his family did not understand him, and anyone that passed him either ignored him or went out of their way to avoid him. She was different. Four years younger than him, barely in junior high, with an unspoiled view of the world and an abundance of kindness. He made sure that he saw her every day, even if they did not speak. For a while, it was enough just to see her smile and play with the stray cats.

After a couple of months, it was no longer enough. He insisted on tutoring her and met her parents, using every ounce of charm he had to try to convince them that he was harmless. That he was normal. Her brother was a year younger than him and never seemed to trust him; always keeping a watchful eye on the two when he tutored the girl. That was fine though because he was sure that he could convince Hiro the way he had convinced her parents.

It was an ordinary evening at the Moriyama household when it happened. He was sitting at the table with Hinako, watching her solve a math problem the way he had taught her. Unfortunately, he had a horrible habit of drooling when he had certain thoughts. Certain thoughts that were far more prevalent when he was around her. Even more unfortunate was that Hiro had a friend over that also went to their high school. That night, when he began to drool thinking about Hinako, it did not go unnoticed by the friend.

"Ugh! Gross, is Creepy Kenta drooling over your little sister?"

Hiro had been playing video games with his friend and looked over quickly. Just in time to see Kenta wipe his mouth on the back of his hand, his face turning red at the attention. The younger boy set down his controller and calmly walked over, but his expression was one of bottled rage. "You don't have any intentions like that toward my sister. _Do_ you, Yamanaka? She's only twelve. Do you know how _sick_ that would be?"

"I haven't done anything to her!" Kenta blurted out in his panic. Unlike him, Hiro was athletic. The younger boy was in almost every sports club at school and could surely beat him to a blubbering pulp if he wanted to.

Hinako's father appeared in the doorway now from the kitchen and demanded what was happening. Hiro told him that he thought Kenta should leave, that he should no longer be allowed around Hinako. The young girl frowned and tilted her head. "I don't want Kenta-niichan to go! He isn't hurting anyone!" she argued, not completely understanding the situation.

It was then that Kenta made the decision. He left the house in a wretched outrage that carried over to when he returned later that night, when he was sure that her father and brother were asleep. He collected her from her bed, rousing her into consciousness, and made her watch her family die. Only when he brought her to his hideout did he realize the full gravity of his actions. He began to sweat and saw her crying. The sight made him drool as her frail shoulders shook with sobs. "It's fine! Hinyako, it's fine! Look, because now, we can do whatever I want! With them gone, I can do whatever I want with you! I can make you better!" He caressed the side of her face, his palm wet with her tears. "I'm going to make you beautiful!"

The memory was bittersweet as he examined his freshly repaired chest. The new material of his body was certainly an upgrade; light metal in place of plastic with light internal mechanisms to power his body. _Better than her little boyfriend! I even made myself look like her ideal guy! I remember what her type is!_ Kenta snorted and turned in a circle before frowning. He had pain receptors implanted in his metal body to keep him alert to possible damage he could take so when Saitama punched him, even with such little strength behind it, the pain had been excruciating. _That guy. That low class hero. I wonder what kind of little terrors I could make with his DNA. Or if I mixed his DNA with Hinyako's. It could be the ultimate living weapon!_

 **Shift P.O.V**

Noriko's eyes slowly opened and she blinked in alarm at the figure sitting next to the futon. "Uh…hey. H-how long have you been here?" she muttered, reaching up to rub at her eyes. She quickly became aware of the arm wrapped around her waist and the warm body against her back. Jolting a little, the catgirl felt the fur on her ears and tail bristle.

Koneko grinned down at her. "Big sister, I'm so glad you chose sensei over senpai!" she exclaimed, her tail whipping back and forth in her excitement.

"Hn. It's not like that. Ah! S-Saitama, don't-!" She felt his hold tighten for a moment before he turned over in his sleep, releasing the girl. Quickly shuffling away from him, she pushed herself to sit up. It was now that she spotted Genos standing in the kitchen, staring over with an unsettling intensity. Color rushed to her cheeks and she quickly looked away. "You're here kind of early, Koneko."

"I was bored. Granny's got some friends over or something so she told me to go out and play, but all the kids my age have school. Why were you and sensei sleeping in the same futon if you didn't pick him over creepy blonde senpai? And are you going to fight any monsters today, big sister? Let me come with you!"

Combing through her hair with her fingers, Noriko sighed. "Ah. Don't know about fighting monsters today. And I just dozed off here yesterday. I guess I was just more tired than I thought I was." She glanced toward Genos and saw that he was still staring at her, his mouth turned down into a slight frown.

Koneko leaned in close to her feline ear and snickered. "Genos-senpai was sitting here watching you sleep when I came in," she whispered.

Now trying to shake that unsettling image out of her head, the older catgirl walked to her bag to find some clean clothes. "As long as you're here, we might as well do some patrolling," she decided. _I usually don't like doing that until after I've done my strength training, but I don't want to wake up Saitama. And I guess I could always go to Bang's dojo after we patrol. As long as I have Koneko with me, I should be fine. I won't get lured in by Sonic if I have her there to stop me._

The younger catgirl was eagerly waiting for her near the door when she emerged from changing in the bathroom. As Noriko walked toward her, she could feel herself still being watched and was not surprised when she felt a metal hand grip her hand. "Did you want to come with us, Genos?" she asked, already knowing his answer.

"I will go with you in case you need help." A glance toward Saitama showed that he was still asleep. "Do you want to write a note for Master Saitama? I am sure that he will want to know where you went," he said with a tiny hint of spite.

She narrowed her green eyes upon his black and gold ones. "No. It's fine. If we're out for too long, I'll just send him a text message."

"Let's go already! And keep your hands to yourself, senpai! Or are you just _jealous_ that my big sister slept with sensei?" Koneko stuck her tongue out at him, giggling afterwards.

He knew that her words held a more innocent meaning than what he imagined, but she managed to directly hit on why he was frustrated. When he returned from taking Mumen Rider to the hospital, he expected to spend time with Noriko alone for a while. Instead, he found that she had dozed off next to his master on his master's futon. Though he was not about to let her know this, he had spent a decent amount of time watching them. Now he glared down at Koneko and stuck out his own tongue in a taunting manner. "I do not get jealous because what is there to be jealous of? I have slept with Noriko more times than Master Saitama."

"Why? Because your clunky body can't fit in a futon so you just curl up behind my big sister?" She grinned, displaying her sharp fangs.

"Koneko, stop." Noriko saw her ears draw back in shame and knew that the girl was more upset about being chastised than offending the cyborg. Nonetheless, she stared her down until she finally muttered an apology to Genos.

The air outside was cold when they left the apartment building, but the younger catgirl was completely unfazed by it. She ran ahead of them, giggling in delight at the thought of slaying a monster with one of her favorite people. Though she would prefer to be patrolling with Noriko and Mumen Rider or Noriko and Saitama. "Why was sensei so tired? Did you guys do a lot yesterday? You shouldn't make sensei do so much! Big sister, why are you blushing?"

"I'm not." Of course, she was blushing red. _I know that she didn't mean it that way, but that wording is terrible! I kind of wanted to keep my mind off of it while I'm out today._ Noriko shifted the swords on her back as she picked up her pace to catch up to the child. The snow had mostly melted and as she looked around, she was actually glad to not see any sign of monsters. As much as she wanted to fight and take her mind off of things, she feared what could happen if she lost control in the fight.

Their search turned up no monsters to fight, but Koneko did manage to take down a purse thief when they walked in the more populated part of the city. Noriko praised her and decided to forego training at the dojo in favor of treating the child. They picked up some food while they were out and by the time they returned to the apartment, Saitama was awake.

"Where'd you guys go? Was there a monster?"

"No monsters, but I tackled a purse snatcher!" the child proudly announced. "I wish you could've seen it, sensei!"

"Sounds pretty cool. Good job, Koneko." He ruffled her pale violet hair, smiling.

Noriko took their food to the kitchen to begin plating it, avoiding Saitama's gaze. _It's because of what he said before I fell asleep. Why did he say that?_ Her tail curled at the end as she felt a hard metal body behind her, warmth radiating from within it. "Hn. Genos, what're you doing?" she whispered over her shoulder.

"You looked cold. Is this too warm for you, Noriko?"

She blushed pink and bowed her head. "No. It feels good, actually."

"When Koneko leaves, I want to be alone with you." His lips brushed over her nicked ear and he felt her shiver. "There is something new that I want to try."

The girl bit her bottom lip to suppress a moan when she felt chilled metal fingertips beneath her chin, tracing down over her throat. His other hand was on her hip, drawing her back tightly against his chest. She could feel his lips moving down from her feline ear to the side of her neck. "Hn. M-maybe…"

"I am sure that Master Saitama will leave us alone if I ask," he continued. "Do you like Master Saitama?"

She tensed, frowning a little. _Do I like him as more than a friend? I don't know. I don't know how I actually feel about him._ A quiet purr escaped her as she felt her knees nearly buckle. "I don't know," she replied truthfully.

"I prefer to not share you, but I did not want Master Saitama to be upset." Genos could feel the back of her hips grind against him, still softly purring as his fingertips caressed the soft skin of her neck. "I want to bend you over this counter. Does hearing that arouse you?"

Her cheeks went from pink to red at his words. She fidgeted, her thighs rubbing together anxiously as she tried not to imagine what it would feel like. A small nod was her reply; she knew that he knew how she felt. The girl threw her head back against his shoulder when his hand slipped from her hip to between her legs. "Genos, what if someone sees-?"

"If either of them come close, I will stop." He felt her hips buck against his hand now, subconsciously seeking the friction.

"Are you guys going to actually bring the food in here or are you eating it all yourselves?" Saitama asked from the doorway. He raised an eyebrow when the two froze, the catgirl blushing and Genos bowing his head. The hero scratched the back of his neck, appearing a little annoyed and a little disappointed. "Seriously? You can't wait for Koneko to go home? You know, you're lucky she went to the bathroom."

"I want time alone with Noriko," the blonde stated, finally turning to look at him. "When Koneko leaves, could you leave us alone for a while?"

"You're telling me to leave my own apartment so you can have sex with your girlfriend. Your girlfriend that we've been sharing since her heat cycle started. What if I want to be alone with her?" His expression was deadpan as he stared at Genos. "I'm serious."

"No. I am not sharing her today. Please respect my request, Master Saitama."

Noriko growled quietly and pulled away, moving to carry the food into the other room. When she settled at the table, she was quickly joined by Koneko. The younger catgirl sat beside her and eagerly began grabbing for food. "Hn. Don't eat too fast, okay?"

"I'm not eating that fast!" the child protested. "On the ranch, you have to eat fast or the cows will steal it, you know!"

 _Why are you eating your food near the cows?_ Shaking her head, Noriko sighed. "Just be careful, okay? I don't want you to choke."

"I'm careful though! Look, I just eat little pieces! Granny said it's better for digestion!"

"What's the old lady doing today anyway? Don't tell me she left you alone again," Saitama said as he sat on Noriko's other side. "You're still kind of young to be left home alone, aren't you? Wait. How old are you anyway? I can't remember."

Koneko wrinkled her nose, but held up two fingers. "I'm _two_! I was born two years ago, but big sister says that I should hang out with people ten years older than that because they look more like me."

"You'll be _three_ this year," Noriko pointed out. She felt Genos behind her, his arm crossing her waist almost possessively as she ate. "Hn. Hard to believe it's been three years."

"Wait, really? When's your birthday, Koneko?" Saitama saw her tilt her head, her pale violet tail curling in curiosity. "You know. Your birthday. When you were born."

"Actually…we've never celebrated her birthday. It's hard to know when it even is because I don't know what month or day it was when she came out of her tube." Noriko frowned as she continued eating. "I haven't celebrated my own birthday for six years now."

"That's not cool. Okay, Koneko, your birthday is going to be Sunday. How's that sound?" The sight of her grin made him smile. "Cool, right? You'll get to decide what we do that day and you'll get presents and cake. It's still weird to think of you as only three-years old though. You really look older. What about you, Nya-chan? When's your birthday?"

"Not for a while." It was a simple answer and she was reluctant to say much else, fearing that he might make a big deal of it like Koneko's birthday.

"Come on. You have to celebrate it with us this year. Not taking 'no' for an answer." He leaned over to her feline ear, still smiling. "I'll even give you something special~"


	86. Chapter 86

Noriko shivered in the cold air, the fur on her tail puffed up and her ears perked forward. She had hoped that the fight would help her warm up, but it was doing nothing to drive away the chill. Facing the large boar monster, she felt her tail shift side to side behind her. He was already injured from her attacks and bleeding heavily, but kept getting back up to charge at the girl. As she stared at it now, her eyes skimmed over the creature's muscled frame. He was wielding an axe, but its attacks were frantic and spontaneous so she was able to easily dodge them.

The boar huffed as it pushed itself to its feet. Spitting blood, it glowered down at the catgirl. "Think you're pretty tough, don't you? Just because you're a cute little kitten, doesn't mean I can't snap your spine in half like any other bitch!" He ran at her, slashing side to side with the axe.

She leapt back to avoid being hit and ducked. With a quick thrust of her blade, she drove it deep into the monster's gut and tore upwards. When she yanked the sword from his flesh, he roared in agony. Her sharp green eyes left its form as it fell to its knees just in time to see another boar monster rushing at her from the edge of the forest. Noriko scowled upon seeing the weapon that the newcomer had. _A chainsaw? Really? Why are you carrying a chainsaw?!_ Shaking off her curiosity, she was swift to dodge the monster's swipes.

"You killed my brother, you little runt! I won't let you get away with this! I'll shred you and put your meat over ramen!"

Her nose wrinkled as she narrowly escaped the chainsaw slashing through her chest. _If I can just distract him and get behind him, I can at least damage his spine to keep him from moving. I'm still not sure what these two were doing so close to City K, but the Hero Association said for me to stop the first one from reaching the city._ The girl's green eyes met the dark ones of the monster and she raised an eyebrow. "Hn. So, before you shred me and turn me into a ramen topping, why don't you tell me what you and your brother were doing so close to civilization?" she suggested, hoping to make him lose focus.

He snorted and slashed at her with his weapon again, forcing her to leap back to avoid being cut. The blades came dangerously close to her tail this time. "What do you _think_ we were going to do?! With the bounty for girls, we couldn't resist trying to grab a few for that creep Catman Scavenger!"

"You know him?" Noriko avoided another attack, her grip on her swords tightening. _A bounty on girls? So that's Kenta's plan for now? Is he just trying to match their DNA with an animal's until he gets one that won't become unstable? How many girls are going to die because of him?!_ She was distracted by her anger and was kicked backwards, sending her skidding over the cold ground. Pushing herself upright, she moved just quick enough to block the chainsaw with her swords. Sparks flew into the air and she swiftly brought her leg up between the monster's legs.

A horrific squeal of pain left the boar monster before he tumbled onto his backside on the ground. Foaming saliva fell from his snout as he swore loudly and cradled his injured area with one hand, the other hand wielding the chainsaw now. "You little bitch! You think I'll let you get away with this?!"

She leapt onto his chest and sheathed one sword. The other was positioned with the point pressed lightly against the boar's throat. "How much was he offering then? How much does he think a girl's life is worth?" The price he named disgusted her. It was a meager amount, but high enough to apparently tempt monsters. Without another word, she drove the sword into his throat with enough force that the tip buried shallowly in the ground beneath him.

When she pulled the sword free, she flicked the blood onto the dead grass and sighed in frustration. Noriko turned in a circle to check for more boar monsters. Thankfully, they seemed to be the only two. _Damn it. So now I have to find Kenta, but where do I even begin to look?! Sonic lost track of him when he tried to follow him. Genos can't seem to pin down his location or even the jerk that keeps building his bodies. What can I do to stop him?_

Her fingers ran through her long violet hair as she took a deep breath of cold air. The Hero Association had called her shortly after Koneko left the apartment, drawing her away from Saitama and Genos. They had seemed alright with her leaving for a while, but she could feel someone watching her as she started to rummage in the bags that the boars had been carrying. Since the second one had mentioned Kenta, she had hoped to find a cellphone or some sort of contact information, but there was nothing there besides instant ramen packs.

As she straightened from crouching near one bag, her right ear twitched. She heard something out of the ordinary and turned in time to see her boyfriend approaching at a swift pace from the direction of the city. Tilting her head, she frowned. "I said I could take care of it. See?"

He looked down at the bodies and then looked at her, visually examining her for injuries. There was a scratch on her right cheek, but she was otherwise unscathed. "When the Hero Association called, they told you that it was one monster," he stated bluntly. "I worried that a second one would appear so I came to help you."

"I had it under control," she protested, gesturing at the bodies. "Did Saitama stay behind? I don't see him with you."

"Master Saitama said that he had faith in your abilities." Quickly catching the way her frown deepened, he attempted to correct the way he spoke. "I have faith in your abilities, Noriko. I just could not help worrying about you." Genos looked at both of the boar bodies and appeared faintly surprised. "You killed both of them yourself?"

"Hn. Yeah. I thought there was just one and then this one came charging out of the forest so…" She started to walk away, wondering what to do with the rest of her day. It was still early afternoon and the thought of returning to the apartment made her slightly uneasy. _If I go back, I'm sure I'll just end doing more…stuff…with them. It's not that I don't like doing it with them, but I still don't know exactly how I feel about Saitama. Knowing that he loves me makes me feel guilty about not knowing how I feel about him._ A glance toward the forest made her heart beat a little faster. The idea of spending the afternoon alone in such a peaceful area was very tempting.

When the catgirl moved to approach the forest, Genos frowned and followed her. "What are you going to do now? Do you want me to carry you home?"

Noriko looked at him over her shoulder as a chilled wind blew through her hair. "I'm not ready to go home yet. You can go ahead of me. I'll be back before dark." With that, she rushed into the forest. Running through the trees filled her with exhilaration and a pulse of euphoria that rivaled how she felt when hunting prey. She made it pretty far, her heart racing and smiling to herself, when a hard metal arm wrapped around her waist from behind. Her body was lifted and slammed onto her back on the ground. "Ngh! Wh-what are you doing?!"

He stared down at her, almost surprised by his own actions. Of course, he had not intended to be so rough; he had simply wanted to stop her from leaving on her own. Now that he was looking down at the girl, he felt his pulse speed up. Her shirt had ridden up a little to expose her pale stomach, her long violet hair was fanned out beneath her in disarray, and she started to blush pink when he straddled her waist. His hands gripped her wrists tightly and pinned them beside her head when she started to thrash. "This could be our only chance to be alone for a while," he said. Leaning down to her feline ear, he smirked. "Do you want to try what I had in mind, Noriko?"

Though she knew his body was heavy and was effectively pinning her down, it caused her minimal pain. The weight settled on her waist was just enough to stop her from trying to throw him off of her. She blinked up at him in alarm, quickly wondering if that had been his reason for following her to the fight to begin with. "We're…out in the middle of a forest," she stated bluntly. "You can't wait for us to get home?"

"If we wait until we get home, Master Saitama might want to join us again. I want you to myself right now." He moved down, lips brushing over the side of her neck. "I will even let you bite me if you want to. When I saw you bite Master Saitama, it made me curious so I asked Doctor Kuseno and he said that biting could be your way of bonding to a person. You bit Master Saitama after sleeping with him and I remember the bite scar on that perverted stalker's neck. After you bit them, I can see that you have become closer with them."

Her feline ears perked forward and she frowned slightly, turning her head to the side. Gentle kisses moved along her neck, drawing soft whimpers of pleasure from her. "Genos…your neck is metal. My fangs slide off of it. And even if what your doctor said is true…I love you so I'm already bonded to you." She felt his grip on her wrists shift so he held both in one hand. The other hand went behind her neck and pulled her face up so that their lips met. Her heart began to race as she kissed him, lightly nipping at his bottom lip with a fang.

The blonde's metal body began to heat slightly and he shifted his position. His weight spread out, one leg moving between hers while his hand released her wrists. Metal fingers slid beneath the waist of her pants, quickly cupping the warm flesh of her lower lips. He rubbed his fingertips over the soft skin and he could feel moisture growing there. When he finally broke the kiss, he sat back and started to tug at her jeans. "We should start before any interruptions arise."

"W-wait a minute. We're still out in the middle of the forest."

Genos gripped her chin, forcing her to meet his black and gold gaze. "That is part of the new thing that I wanted to try. Are you saying that you are afraid or that you do not trust me?"

"What if someone sees? What would the Hero Association do if we were caught doing something like this out in the middle of the woods?!"

"Are you saying that you are afraid or that you do not trust me?" he repeated.

"N-no. I trust you. I am a little afraid, but I do trust you." Noriko let him slide down her jeans and panties, yelping when her bare skin touched the cold ground. Her shirt was tossed aside with her other clothes and she was soon clinging tightly to him as his member effortlessly slipped into her wet opening. The catgirl's sharp nails shallowly dug into his metal shoulders, hissing at the still somewhat chilled metal against her slick muscles. "Ngh! Genos~"

"If you are afraid, you should keep your voice down. If you think that you can." He smirked and leaned down to capture her lips with his as his hips pumped into hers. The girl's heart beat rapidly beneath his hand as he massaged her right breast, confirming his suspicion that she was unable to truly refuse his request. Though he was unsure of whether it was because she loved him or if it was just an effect of her heat cycle.

She bit her bottom lip when he finally broke the kiss, trying to stifle any sounds of euphoria that might try to slip free. Her hips were raised, her opening growing wetter each time he pulled out even a little. "Hnnnyah! I-it feels so good! Genos, it feels too good! I'm going to-!"

"Do it." He pressed a thumb against her clit and rubbed rough circles that soon had her climaxing and yowling. Feeling her muscles clamp down on his member brought a groan from the blonde. His pace increased and he lifted her legs a little so her thighs were against her abdomen. Hitting deeper within her drew forth more sounds that made his lust for her spike. The cyborg continued to rub her clit as he pounded his hips into hers, watching her facial expressions change. One moment she looked like she was in ecstasy and the next she looked almost pained with arousal. Genos kissed along her neck as she came down from the pleasure high, not breaking his pace for even a second. "I am going to move on to the next one."

"The next one?" She whimpered softly when he pulled out of her, leaving her feeling empty. Her body was flipped onto her hands and knees and soon she felt him push his metal cock deep into her. Fingers tangled in her violet hair as her head was pulled back. The catgirl yowled and moaned loudly in pleasure. "Genos~ What…is this…?" she asked, panting.

"I wanted the adrenaline of possibly being seen as well as this position to accommodate your feline tendencies. Does this feel good, Noriko?" One arm was wrapped around her waist to hold her in place while his free hand went to her right breast. Metal fingers pinched at her nipple gently and tugged at it, sending shockwaves of pleasure through her.

She pushed her hips back against his, moaning at the way his member filled her and stretched her. The girl nodded her head in answer to his question, arching her back. "Y-yes, it feels too good~" she moaned in reply.

"I thought that this might heighten your pleasure. We are doing this similarly to how cats do it and in an environment that animals do these things. So it feels good to do this out in the forest like a cat in heat, Noriko?" He said this in an almost teasing tone and began to thrust in a little harder, the head of his member pushing against her special spot. Immediately, he felt her tense up and could feel the yowl through her back before it left her lips.

"Hnnyah! Y-yes~" Her mouth was open, panting as he continued to pump himself in and out of her. The friction was intense, the power that he used seeming to be more than usual. Her fingers dug into the ground beneath her as another orgasm hit her. She spasmed around his cock and her upper half fell against the cold earth as her arms gave out. Thankfully, he pulled out long enough to turn her onto her back once more before continuing his work.

The blonde stared down at her as he pushed his length back in, feeling her core engulf him inch by inch. It felt divinely warm within her and her juices were coating him, making it easy to slide in and out of her. His eyes closed and he let his head rest against her shoulder as his hands gripped her hips. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, the peaks of her breasts brushing against his metal chest and making her shudder.

Noriko's eyes snapped open when she had the overwhelming feeling that she was being watched. She immediately knew that it was not Genos. Something felt 'off' about the stare and the second her eyes opened, she felt her heart skip a beat. Her blood ran cold at the sight of the grey-eyed figure above them in the tree. _Genos didn't notice him up there?! Was he really so distracted by this that he hasn't noticed?_ The girl's lips parted, wanting to say something. Nothing came out. Instead, she found herself simply gaping up at the dark-clothed figure.

Sonic's gaze was fixed upon the girl, refusing to even look at Genos as the cyborg drove himself deeper into her core. He was not pleased with what he was seeing, but he was not about to leap down and interrupt. Not when he could determine a sweet and fitting punishment for the catgirl and a horrific revenge against the blonde. A truly wicked grin stretch his lips and he nodded toward Genos. Fear immediately grew in her eyes and she shook his head. He drew a thumb across his throat in a silent threat before disappearing.

Genos tensed, his teeth closing on the sensitive skin of the side of her neck as he climaxed. He ran his fingers through her hair when he was done and pressed his lips to hers. "I would like to continue this when we get home. Do you feel up to it?"


	87. Chapter 87

It had been a few days since her fight with the boar monsters and she had been called out to fight a few rat monsters and dog monsters in the days following. Now it was Saturday, the day before Koneko's birthday, and Noriko found herself quite agitated. She was sitting on the roof of the apartment building, wanting some time alone to deal with her latest problem. _Those boar monsters said that there was a bounty set by Kenta for the capture of human girls. A low bounty, but still. He's going to kill them. Their DNA won't be able to stabilize once it's fused with an animal's._ Remembering Yaya's transformation made her stomach hurt with disgust and guilt. The other girl's body had started to lose its power struggle with the pig DNA and it had been apparent that she was in horrible agony.

Noriko's phone was in her hand as she stared up at the fluffy white clouds that blocked the sun. It was a strangely warm afternoon and she was grateful for the lack of wind. Her tail twitched at the end while her gaze lowered to the street, many feet below her. With a sigh of frustration, she scrolled through her contact list until she reached her contact at the Hero Association. It was always the same nasally male voice that gave her jobs to do and seemed to be the only staff member at the Association that was willing to speak with her. The phone rang three times before it was picked up.

"Samurai Catgirl. Don't you get tired of being told 'no'?" the staff member asked, irritation clear in his voice. She had called every day for the past three days, several times a day, demanding the same thing every time. Not only was he tired of telling her 'no', but he was becoming exhausted with her persistence.

"As long as there's a threat, I'm going to keep calling," she replied bluntly. Closing her eyes, she drew her legs to her chest and leaned back against the barrier around the edge of the roof. "I'm telling you that he's dangerous. Let me take the time to at least investigate."

"And I've told you that Catman Scavenger poses no threat. The Hero Association has looked into his background and can't find any evidence that he has anything to do with your creator. He hasn't attacked any citizens or heroes. He hasn't unleashed any monsters."

"You're wrong though! He attacked Genos and Sonic! He's responsible for the dog monsters and rat monsters that keep appearing! Why won't you believe me?!"

"Because you don't have proof. If there was a fight between him and the Demon Cyborg, I'm sure it would have been witnessed by more than one person. And your assassin stalker doesn't count. No one else has come forth with information about that fight so we're inclined to believe you're making it up." The man sighed audibly and there was a shuffling sound of papers. "Are you sure this isn't about him being a catperson? Are you just upset that there's another of your kind and now there are three of you? Or are you afraid of his potential as a hero? They say that if he joined the Hero Association, he would be a higher ranking Class A."

"This isn't about any of that! This is about him taking innocent girls and _destroying_ them! This is about his sick plan to try to overthrow the Hero Association with an army of catgirls while he markets them as slaves to rich citizens! How do you not understand how serious this is?!"

There was a pause and it was obvious that the man was shaking his head. "Look, I've heard you out for three days in a row now, Murasaki-san. I understand that you feel like what you're saying is important, but until you can produce hard evidence, you're forbidden to interact with Catman Scavenger. Do you understand that? If it's found out that you're challenging him, you will be put on probation again and have your wages garnished to make up for his suffering. That's what the higher ups have decided after looking at the transcription of your past calls."

"I can't believe this! You're all insane! He's going to kill innocent people and you're saying you won't even let me try to save them?! Their blood's going to be on _your_ hands! I hope you know that! When girls start turning up dead all over the cities, it's going to be your fault!"

The sound of footsteps on tile could be heard through the phone, along with a quiet apology to someone near Noriko's contact. "Okay, look," he started in a hushed tone. "I don't want you to get in trouble. I'm not supposed to tell you this. If the higher ups hear that I told you, I'll lose my job. But I've been talking to you for over two years now and I know your sense of justice won't let you leave this alone. Maybe telling you the real consequence of challenging him will convince you. The higher ups were saying that if you start trouble and go after Catman Scavenger, they'll take away your hero status and classify you as a villain or monster. I don't want that to happen to you. I know that you're not like that. Please just forget about Catman Scavenger and continue fighting monsters. _Please_."

She was trembling with rage upon hearing his words, but the anger was not directed at him. She knew that he had no control over the decisions made by his superiors in the association and thus kept herself calm as she replied. "We'll see. Thanks."

"Take care of yourself. My niece is a huge fan of yours. It'd break her heart if you lost your status."

Noriko's anger began to fade slightly, taken over by fear. _I've never heard him sound worried, in the two years I've been talking to him. When I joined the Hero Association, he was the representative assigned to me so we've talked almost every day. He always sounds annoyed, but today he sounded like he was really worried. Is it really that serious? The association really thinks that highly of Kenta?_ The clouds began to shift above her, letting sunlight filter through and warm her face. Staring at her phone, she knew she now had a difficult decision to make.

If she left Kenta alone to do as he pleased, he would inevitably do something to make the Hero Association take notice. Though he had done plenty in the past weeks that should have alerted them to his true nature. If she tried to stop him, her status would be taken away and the association would undoubtedly send someone to collect her and take her to prison. She had a strong suspicion that they would send a hero close to her if that happened.

Standing, she felt a small breeze blow through her hair. It was calming and helped her come to a decision. _As long as Kenta is alive, Koneko will be in danger. Not just her, but a lot of girls. If the Hero Association won't do anything about it, then it's up to me to stop him. Even if it means being hated. Even if it means becoming a monster._ Noriko frowned as she took the stairs down to Saitama's floor. She lingered near the door for a moment, her stomach hurting with anxiety. Though she had made her decision, she knew that Genos and Saitama would not like it. They would want to either help her, which could result in them losing their hero statuses as well, or try to stop her.

The apartment was empty when she entered it and she spotted a note on the table, stating that they had gone to fight another monster. Her shoulders drooped and she flipped the paper over to write her own note. She collected all of her belongings, stuffing them into her bag, and looked around one last time. It filled her with despair to think about leaving them, but she knew it was for the best. They would only get in her way of stopping Kenta. Tears began to form in her eyes as she turned away and left the apartment behind.

She walked for a while through City Z, biting the inside of her cheek and avoiding eye contact with anyone she crossed paths with. Her thoughts went from her roommates to Koneko. _Her birthday is tomorrow and I can't even be there for it. I can only hope that Saitama and Genos make her feel better when she finds out that I'm gone. I don't even know if I'll live through this._ A thought popped into her head as she moved along the sidewalk and her tail curled at the end. It was not necessarily a good thought, but it was something that would undoubtedly help her in her quest to kill Kenta. She absently kicked a rock with the tip of her boot, watching it tumble over the concrete ahead of her. _Do I really want to do that though? If I do it, what will happen? It could backfire. I need something. A way to keep him in check. If I want this to work, I'll need some sort of bargaining chip._

Noriko soon found herself standing in front of a vaguely familiar building. It was sparsely populated with tenants, none of which looked at her when she passed them upon entering. She nervously adjusted her sword straps, dread settling heavily in the pit of her stomach. This was not a place that she wanted to be, especially after their last encounter. There were sure to be repercussions for what had happened in the forest outside of City K. _I'll just have to deal with it_ , she decided as she approached the door. Rather than knock and give him time to attempt some sort of ambush, Noriko threw the door open.

Sonic froze, having been in the process of sharpening his katana, and stared at her first with alarm and then a hint of disappointment. "What are you doing here?" His grey eyes shifted to the bag she was carrying and he smirked. "You left him again and need somewhere to stay? You know, you're taking all of the fun out of this for me. I had something planned."

"Hn. Sorry to disappoint you, but I don't need a place to stay. I need your help."

"So you need money again? You want me to set you up with another job?" The ninja stood and tucked his blade into its sheath. Upon looking more closely at her face, he could see that something was bothering her. Something deeper than a breakup or a Hero Association suspension. He crossed the room and stood in front of her, arms crossed. "What? You look like you're going to cry."

"I'm not going to cry like some _weakling_ ," she snarled. "Look…I need to know that I can trust you, okay? Because I'm going against my every instinct by coming to you for help." She ran her fingers through her hair and bowed her head. "You know, it's taking every ounce of my courage not to turn back right now and go home."

"Are you afraid of me?" He saw her shake her head. A frown started to form on his face and he did not like it. Lifting her chin, he was able to see tears in her eyes. "Fine. What do you need from me? What's this thing that you can't trust those loser heroes with?"

"It's not that I don't trust them," she argued. "I just don't want them to get dragged down with me…and I know you're already on the level I'm about to sink to." She scowled as he began to grin at her. _He knows, doesn't he? Well, he at least has a feeling about what I have to do. I can tell from that creepy smile of him._

"What are you trying to say? You quit the Hero Association and now you want to be an assassin?" His face moved closer to hers, feeling her start to tremble in his grip.

"I haven't quit, but what I need to do is going to make them reclassify me as a villain or monster. Or so I was told. So I'm going to have heroes coming after me and…I need protection."

Realization became apparent in his eyes now. "Oh, I get it. You need protection from your boyfriend. Oh, wait. _Ex_ -boyfriend, at this point. I doubt he'd want to date a monster."

"Will you help me or not?"

"You know that my help isn't _free_. I'm going to need some kind of payment; you're basically asking me to be your bodyguard, aren't you? It's the same as hiring me." Sonic tightened his grip a little, watching her wince. "So? Do you still want my help?"

"I _need_ your help. We'll negotiate payment later, depending on the level of danger. Is that okay or do I need to find another assassin to protect me?" Noriko challenged him.

"Fine. The payment's negotiable." He released her and reached past the girl to lock the apartment door. Turning his back on Noriko, he walked across the apartment to sit on his futon and resume the task of sharpening his katana. She hesitantly followed him and sat on the floor nearby, adjusting her sword straps. "So tell me about this terrible thing you have to do that's going to have you reclassified. Are you going to kill your kid after all?"

Her ears drew back and she snarled quietly. "I could never do that. What I need to do is find Kenta and the jerk that keeps building bodies for him. I need to stop them both permanently so I have to-"

"Kill them. That makes sense, but why is your precious association so against it?" Sonic lifted his blade to examine it, seemingly satisfied with the sharpness.

"I'm not sure. I've been calling the association for the past three days, trying to tell them that he was dangerous. I tried to warn them about his plan to make more catgirls and that he has a bounty out for monsters to bring him human girls. They said there was no evidence. They said I was _lying_." She sank her sharp nails shallowly into her arms, trying to draw her attention away from her anger and despair. _I know that if they send Genos or Saitama after me, I won't be able to fight them. I couldn't hurt them. Because they're my friends and also they're way stronger than me. With Sonic, I could at least stand a chance against Genos._

"Remember what he said on Corpse Mountain? He said that he had people in the prison that told him everything that happened. Did you consider that he might have influence over someone in your little association? Think about it." Sheathing the blade again, he turned to look at her. Locks of dark violet hair were hanging over her eyes, but her tears were still visible as they rolled down her cheeks. "You're more afraid of them hating you than going to prison."

"…yeah…" She slouched, her tail hanging limply at her side now. "I don't want to talk about Genos and Saitama, alright? So now that you know what I need to do, will you still help me?" Her green eyes shifted to the man and she began to blush. Stray locks of black hair hung in his face and the way he was looking at her conveyed concern. "Sonic?"

He stood and stretched a little, closing his eyes. "Of course. I still want my payment though; I'm not doing this for free. Payment aside, it's like you're forgetting the fact that I love you. I'm not going to let you go off on your own on some insane quest that will get you killed."

"What? So you'd rather die _with_ me?" she muttered in sarcasm.

"I'm not letting either of us die. But if I had to, I could think of worse ways to go." His grey eyes opened and he looked toward her. Noriko was still curled up in a ball against the wall near his bed, forlorn in appearance. Spotting the white bell collar hanging around her neck, he frowned. Sonic crouched in front of her, gently hooking a finger through the collar and drawing her face close to his. "Take this off."

"Saitama gave me this. I know that I had to leave them, but I don't want to get rid of it." She averted her gaze, unnerved by how close he was.

"The fact that it's from _him_ is part of why I want you to take it off. The other reason is that I'm pretty sure your ex-boyfriend used this to track you down when we were in City G. He must have put a tracking chip in it or something. Like you were his _pet_." Sonic reached behind her neck to unbuckle the collar before sliding it off of her. He stood and walked to the apartment door, pausing briefly to look at her. "I'm going to take this somewhere that we won't go. I'll bring back dinner with me." An evil grin spread across his lips. "Make yourself at home."

Noriko watched him go and flopped onto her side on his futon. _There's no turning back. Not even for Koneko's birthday. But if I'd stayed even another day, I would have second guessed myself and I know that this is what I have to do. I have to stop Kenta at all costs._


	88. Chapter 88

NeonHorizon: I usually take Mondays to just relax and play video games, but I felt like it was important to write this chapter. This day, February 6th, would have been my father's birthday. He died two years ago. So instead of letting myself cry and feel that loss, I channeled my focus into this chapter. I hope it's good because I'm dedicating this one to my father.

* * *

 _That looks bad._ Saitama glanced over at Genos, who had gone into the kitchen immediately upon their return to the apartment. His eyes went back to the note on the table. There was a feeling in the pit of his stomach that he recognized as dread as he reached for the piece of paper. Skimming over it, the dread only grew.

'I'm going somewhere. Please don't look for me. If everything works out, I might be able to come back. But only when I'm done. If I don't come back, then please make sure that Koneko is taken care of. Saitama, I trust you to keep her safe. Genos, I know that you'll want to look for me, but please don't. I need to do this. Please forgive me for leaving you both. Noriko.'

He read through it again and frowned. _I think we've been dumped. Where did she go? Did she get a lead on where Kenta is? Should I try calling him? Should I try calling_ _ **her**_ _? Damn it. We shouldn't have left her here by herself. But I know she needs to do this herself._ The bald hero sat at the table, gripping the note tightly in his hand as he tried to recall if she had done anything strange before they left. She had seemed frustrated by something, but refused to talk about it. He knew that it was not the first time in the past few days; he could easily read how she was feeling and it had been clear to him that something was 'off', but he had no desire to bother her about it. Now he wished that he had.

"Master Saitama, is that a note from Noriko?" Genos asked, stepping out of the kitchen.

"Huh? Uh…y-yeah. She says she went on an errand and she'll be back tomorrow," he lied. Averting his gaze, he hoped that the cyborg believed him.

"Can I see it? I could help her with her errand if I know where she is. I do not like the thought of her being alone when that pervert is still loose."

"You want to see the note?" Saitama saw him nod. "What? You don't believe me? You really think I'd lie to you, Genos? Wow. Where's the trust?"

The blonde's stare seemed to darken. "Give me the note or I will resort to drastic measures. If you are telling the truth, I will apologize for not believing you."

"Look, I don't think you need to see this, okay? I'm sure she'll be back soon so it doesn't even really matter what the note says, right?" He saw Genos take a step toward him and quickly shoved the note into his hero costume. "It doesn't matter! She'll be back soon!"

Tilting his head, the young man's mouth turned down at the corners. "I know that you are lying to me. Master Saitama, you asked about my trust in you, but I have to wonder about your trust in me if you feel like you need to lie. Now give me the note so I can know where my girlfriend is. I would like to know whether or not she is safe."

Saitama sighed in irritation and pulled the note from his costume. "If I give this to you, you have to promise that you won't go looking for her, okay? I told you before that she needs closure." He handed the paper to his disciple and turned on the television in hopes of distracting him. It did not work even a little. The cyborg was soon moving toward the apartment door. "Hey! I said that you had to promise to not look for her!"

Genos looked at him over his shoulder. "I do not remember making that promise. I intend to track her whereabouts with the chip that I implanted in her collar. Will you come with me or wait here? I doubt that she will return soon with a note like this."

"Ugh. She's going to be really pissed off when we show up. Did you think about that? And she clearly broke up with us in this note. That part about apologizing for leaving us. That's a _break up_. Let me change first. She wouldn't be fighting anything yet." As he changed into casual clothes, he glanced over and saw the flicker of worry in his friend's expression. _I didn't want him to get upset. I guess maybe that's a little selfish. I should let him look for her; I want to know that she's safe, too. And that stuff about breaking up? I don't like that. She would only do that if she really thought that there was a chance of her dying, right? This is pretty bad._

Genos led the way, winding through the streets of the abandoned part of City Z. The tracking chip took them outside of the city and out toward the wilderness, making them both worry that she had simply chosen to live as a wanderer again. They ran through a forest, following the chip, and halted when they reached a steep cliff. The blonde was the first to approach the edge, peering down at the rocky ravine at least a hundred feet below. Spotting a branch just a few feet below the edge, he felt a deep despair set in. Genos turned away from the sight, his face expressionless as he tried to process what he saw.

"What's up? Is it pretty steep? Do you see her down there?" Saitama looked over the edge and felt his blood run cold. Carefully reaching for the branch, he plucked the white bell collar off of it and stared at the dark red spots that tarnished the leather and bell. Looking further down, he saw a splattered mess of crimson on the rocks. "Uh. Heh. This…can't be right. No way. I mean, what would she even be doing out here? Right, Genos?" To his horror, the cyborg moved past him and leapt over the edge.

He skidded down the side of the cliff, wary of rocks and bushes, until he reached the bloody mess at the bottom. His metal fingertips dipped into a puddle of red and he stared at it with a vacant expression. Standing, he looked around for the remains of her body. "Master Saitama, something is not right. I do not see Noriko's corpse anywhere."

Saitama jumped over the edge, landing with a loud thud beside him. "Okay. So what do we do then? You think she's still alive?"

"If she died from the fall, an animal might have dragged her body away. I will search the ravine for it while you rest. If I cannot locate her body, then this may have been set up. Either by Noriko or whoever forced her to leave us. I would not put it past that pervert to kidnap her again and try to make us believe that she died."

The bald hero sat on a large rock and frowned as he examined her collar. "I don't think Nya-chan would fake her death after leaving a note like that. Go ahead and look around. I'm going to try her cellphone." Saitama dialed her number, but there was no answer. _Damn. I was hoping that she'd pick up._ His gaze lowered to the white leather collar again and he frowned. _What if she really is dead? What am I going to do? She wanted me to look after her kid. Can I really do that? And it's Koneko's birthday tomorrow, too. Damn it. Nya-chan, why did you have to leave?!_ He got her voicemail and his frown deepened. "Hey, it's Saitama. Look, I don't know what's going on, but if you're alive then you'd better call me back. Okay? Bye."

When the cyborg returned empty-handed, he looked even more worried. "I did not find her corpse, but that does not mean that she is alive. Master Saitama, I want to take her collar and a sample of the blood from the ground to Doctor Kuseno for testing. If it is her blood, I will need to accept her death. If this is not her blood, I will begin searching for her. You will be welcome to join me, but if there is a chance that she is alive then I will not stop looking for Noriko."

He handed the collar to Genos, hope making him smile. "Yeah, okay. Let me know the results as soon as you get them back. I'll go with you. How soon do you think it'll be?"

"At least twenty-four hours. Noriko's blood is different from a normal person's so it will be more difficult for Doctor Kuseno to tell if it is hers or an animal's."

"Alright. I'll go get Koneko. If Nya-chan was kidnapped, the kid might be in danger too. I'm pretty sure she wasn't kidnapped though; she's probably just going through some stuff that she wanted to sort out. She probably isn't dead." He watched the cyborg hurriedly scale the side of the cliff and leaned back against another rock. _Damn it. She'd better not be dead._

 **Shift P.O.V**

Noriko jolted awake as the train came to a stop and looked around. Sonic was sitting beside her, having let her lean against him as she slept, and now he smirked down at her. _Oh. Right. I'm not in the apartment. I have a job to do._ Recalling all of the previous day's events, she felt her stomach hurt with guilt. She had left her roommates because they would want to stop her from going against the Hero Association. The previous night, she had slept at Sonic's apartment and they had left early that morning to take a train to City G.

"Sleep well?" he teased, watching her straighten and stretch a little.

"Hn. Not really. I don't know how I _could_ , considering the circumstances." They grabbed their bags and got off the train, entering the city. For once, no one stared at the girl. Her swords were tucked away in her bag and she was wearing some of Sonic's clothes as well as a hat to hide her feline ears. Now the strangest thing about her was her hair color, but no one paid it any attention. Her tail twitched in the leg of her pants, making her shudder a little at the sensation of constriction.

The two were able to walk down the street without being bothered or even noticed by any of the citizens around them. With a mischievous half-grin, Sonic reached over to hold her hand. "It's not often that we get to do this," he remarked.

"It's not often that people don't stare at me. I'm still kind of weirded out that your clothes basically fit me." True, the pants were a bit baggy on her and the shirt was a bit tight in the chest, but otherwise they fit her in a way that looked natural to passerby.

"You look good in them, but I'd rather see you _out_ of them."

"Hn. Did you really just say that? Alright, so we need to find the Yamanaka house and try to find some clues to Kenta's whereabouts. Do you remember where the house is?" Noriko was a little reluctant to bring Sonic with her to City G, fearing that someone might recognize him as the one that killed Kenta's entire family. So far, no one had given him a second glance since he was wearing casual clothes.

They stopped at a crossroads and he looked both ways. "We need to get to that one house first and I can probably find it from there. You lead."

"F-fine." She held his hand tightly, blushing faintly at how warm it felt. _I can't believe we're doing this! We're back in City G, the place that the Hero Association will look for me first, so we can try to track down Kenta. Do they know yet? I left that note. Will Genos or Saitama tell them that I left? What will they do when they hear what I'm doing?_ Noriko quickened her pace until they finally arrived at her old house.

Sonic looked at the dwelling, a hint of a frown on his lips. "You probably want to visit their graves first, right? Go ahead."

Her tail shifted in the leg of her pants and her ears went back beneath her hat. Approaching the yard, she began to tremble. It was still very well kept and the graves had fresh flowers on them. She knelt in front of the one at the center and was silent for a long moment as she tried to recall the faces of her family. _Why can't I? It's…difficult. I know that my mom had purple hair like me. All of the women on her side of the family did for some reason and we always joked about it, didn't we? So I can remember her hair…but not her face._

"Excuse me, but this is private property. You can't be here," a male voice said. A figure came from around the corner of the house and froze in place when they saw the two. He pushed up his glasses and gaped, unable to believe his eyes. "Ah…H-Hinako-chan?!"

She turned her head and stared back at the newcomer. It was a young man around her age with glasses and mousy brown hair. Freckles dusted his cheeks and the bridge of his nose, instantly reminding her of the boy she had known so long ago. Her first crush. Her childhood best friend. "Ichirou-kun?!"

 **Shift P.O.V**

Sonic watched the catgirl stand and walk over to greet the young man, instantly igniting a spark of jealousy. Looking the boy up and down, the ninja smirked. _He looks like a mouse. He's weak. So what is he to Noriko? A relative? He's at her old house._

The girl turned to him from speaking to the newcomer and smiled. To his irritation, she seemed very excited to see this new young man. "Sonic, this is my childhood friend Ichirou. Ichirou-kun, this is Speed o' Sound Sonic. He's-"

"I'm her _boyfriend_. So what brings you lurking around Noriko's old house? Hoping to ignite some old childhood flame or something?" He approached the two and saw the girl frown. She was glaring at him now, but he paid it no heed.

"Uh…no. I've been tending to her family's graves for the past six years. I come here every day to make sure the house and yard look good, too. I kind of felt like it was my job since I didn't do a very good job of protecting you, Hinako-chan." The boy rubbed the back of his neck, unaware of the way Sonic rolled his eyes.

"Thank you, Ichirou-kun. I really appreciate everything you've done. But you know…it wasn't your fault. Back then, you tried to warn me. I should've listened to you and just ignored Kenta. I knew better, but I still talked to him."

"I'm sorry that you went through so much pain. If I'd known what would happen, I would've done more. I would have told my parents and they might have been able to help. Um. But I guess, if I had, you wouldn't be a hero now, would you? And you might not have met your boyfriend there. I could've sworn you were dating a hero though."

Sonic grinned cruelly, his hands in his pockets. "She left him for me. Do you have a problem with that? Did you think you might have a chance with her because you looked after her house all these years? Where were you when she broke out of that lab? Did you even try talking to her after that?" He received a scolding look from Noriko and shrugged. "I'm just curious. Because he's talking like he hoped he'd get a reward for all of this."

"Look, just try to focus on where that house is, okay? I'm going to talk to Ichirou-kun and hopefully he might know something. Come on, Ichirou-kun." She walked with the boy around to the front of the house and the door closed behind them as they entered.

Though a little irritated, he determined that the boy was not truly a threat. _He's too much of a coward to say anything to her and I don't think she even saw him blushing._ The man's attention was drawn to the three graves and he walked over to them, staring down at the names carved into the stone. The flowers around them were beautiful and bright in the sunlight. Sonic glanced over his shoulder toward the house, making sure that he was not being watched from the windows. Crouching down in front of her father's grave, he ran his fingertips over the name. _Hideki. Moriyama Hideki. I'll keep her safe. I don't know why I'm doing this, but I guess I want you to know that I'll keep her safe. So she won't be joining you any time soon._

Straightening, he started to grin. While they were on the train, he had heard her cellphone ringing again. It had been ringing quite a bit since she came to him and while she slept, he had checked her calls. Saitama had been desperately trying to reach her, but there was no word from Genos. It was almost humorous. He had first met her when he mistook her for Saitama's girlfriend and from that day, he had wanted to take her from his rival. Sonic had more or less succeeded; she had technically left Saitama and was now with him. It gave him an immense sense of satisfaction. Pushing his hands back into his pockets, Sonic decided to check on Noriko.


	89. Chapter 89

"Hn." Pale green eyes shifted from the man across the table to the food before her and then to the apartment door. "So? This is my birthday party? Sensei and sushi?"

"What? You look disappointed. Isn't this fun?" Saitama was doing his best to try to make the day good for her, but he knew he was failing. _She doesn't look happy. What am I supposed to do? If Nya-chan was here, she'd probably be able to cheer her up._ This thought brought forth emotions that he was not ready to deal with. Turning to the television, he flipped through the channels. "Want to watch cartoons or something?"

"I want to know where everyone is! Is this like those surprise parties on TV and everyone's hiding?" She did not look like she believed this. In fact, it was evident from her scowl that she was losing her patience.

"Uh. Nope. It's really just us today. Sorry, kid. Just try some sushi. Maybe we can go for a walk or something afterwards. Wouldn't that be fun?"

The girl crossed her arms and her feline ears drew back, her lip curling to bare a fang in irritation. "I want to know where my big sister is! And where are Genos-senpai and Mumen Rider? I want them to be here!"

"Well…they're all busy. I mean, Nya-chan went somewhere to get you the perfect present. And I think Mumen Rider went with her. So when they get back, you'll probably get something pretty cool." Thankfully, she seemed semi-content with this answer and began eating her sushi. _I can't tell her that Nya-chan might be dead. Genos went to see his doctor about the results and when I tried to call Mumen Rider, he said he had to go somewhere. What's that about?_ Saitama sighed quietly and looked at his phone's screen.

Despite saying that he would be gone for quite a while, the apartment door suddenly opened to admit Genos. He looked from Saitama to Koneko and appeared almost startled when the small catgirl rushed over for a hug. "Koneko-san, I apologize for missing your party," he started, lifting the bag that he was carrying. "I need to speak with Master Saitama. Can you wait here?"

She took the bag from him and raised an eyebrow. "Hn? What, you think I'm not old enough to hear what you have to say? I'm three now!"

"Just wait here, Koneko. We'll be back." Saitama stepped out of the apartment with Genos and finally let his smile fall. "So what's up? Did the results come back?"

"Yes. Master Saitama, I actually have good news. It took a while for Doctor Kuseno to get the result, but the blood is not the same as the blood that he took from her earlier this week. The blood that was on her collar and on the ground was cow blood. The blood that he took from Noriko was a combination of human and cat. Incidentally, her cat DNA seems to be from a cat registered on a popular show cat list. Her name is Mittens."

The hero raised an eyebrow at this. "Okay. So Nya-chan's blood is…?"

"The blood of Moriyama Hinako and Yamanaka Mittens. It is not the blood that was in the ravine or on Noriko's collar so that means that she is probably still alive. What bothers me is that it seems like she faked her death. I cannot think of a reason for her to do this." Genos saw a serious expression forming on his mentor's face and felt a spark of hope. "Master Saitama? What is it?"

"I just can't believe her cat DNA comes from someone named Mittens. What a weird name for a cat," he commented. "Wait. It was Yamanaka Mittens, right? So that's-"

"Kenta's family cat. He must have used a sample of her DNA to fuse with Noriko's."

"Yeah. Still, that's a pretty weird name." He heard his phone ping with a message and drew it from his pocket to look at the screen. Displayed there was a photo of a familiar violet-haired catgirl and a black-haired ninja. The photo came from Noriko's phone number with the caption "Look what I have". Saitama began to smile and, without a word to Genos, replied with the message "Glad to see you're alive, but why do you have Sonic?" His phone started to actually ring now and he walked away from the blonde to answer it. "Hey, I've been trying to call you. So did you kidnap him or something?"

"This is Speed o' Sound Sonic. I have Noriko."

"Oh. Well, I need to talk to her. Give her the phone."

"Do you really think she wants to talk to you? She left you. _Both_ of you."

"Yeah, but she's alive, right? Where are you guys?" Saitama moved quickly to avoid Genos taking the phone from him. "Uh, do you mind? I'm on the phone."

"Master Saitama, are you talking to Noriko?"

"Oh, is that her ex? Tell him she said good bye." With these last words, the phone clicked and left him with silence.

Saitama frowned a little and looked at his phone. "Huh. So she's okay, at least."

"Was that Noriko? Where is she?"

"I don't know, but I'm pretty sure she'll be okay. I just wish I knew why she left. Well, you can probably find her, right?" They walked back into the apartment to find Koneko sitting where Noriko's bag would usually be. "Oh. Uh. Hey, do you want your present now?"

She stared up at him with teary eyes, her fingertips running over the surface of the floor. "Big sister _left_ , didn't she? She left me…and she's not coming back, is she? You don't have to lie to me! I can handle the truth! She doesn't _love_ me anymore, does she?! Or was it Sonic-sensei? Did _he_ take my big sister somewhere?"

A little surprised with how close to the truth she might be, Saitama sat beside her. "Look, she still loves you, okay? She probably just had to do something. Something she didn't want anyone to know about. I don't think it's anything bad, but she didn't even tell us. She'll be back soon though." He reached into the pocket of his hooded sweatshirt and removed a small box. "Can you smile? I'll give you your present if you smile, okay?"

"Hn. I don't even feel like smiling anymore. This is the worst first birthday ever." Her tail drooped, but she managed to force a small smile. When the box was given to her, she opened the lid with very few expectations and found a pink pen inside. It had little cat faces on it and a cat head as the clicking part. "What? Why are you giving me a _pen_ , sensei?"

He rubbed the back of his neck and glanced at Genos. The blonde was now at the computer, his back to the two. "Well, actually, it's a really special pen. This was your mom's when she was sort of your age."

Instantly, her ears went back and her tail straightened. "Hn? My _mom_ , huh? So you knew her and you weren't going to tell me? Is she even _alive_ anymore? Does she even _care_ about me? And how do you know her?" Though her pale green eyes were full of suspicion, she was starting to smile a little as she looked at the writing utensil.

 _I guess this is as good a time as any to say it. He'd find out eventually anyway._ Saitama reached over to ruffle the girl's long purple hair. "Her name's Moriyama Hinako. She cares about you a lot. And I know her pretty well; I love her."

 **Shift P.O.V**

It was a calming place to be, despite the horrible memory linked to the area. Noriko had gone behind the abandoned buildings where she had first encountered Kenta, nearly seven years ago. Settling on the ground, she was soon surrounded by the many stray cats that plagued the city. She knew that none of them were the original ones that she had fed, but they welcomed her nonetheless and clamored for her attention. The girl heard a sound of amusement from her companion and ignored it. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath to try to calm herself.

The information she got from Ichirou was important. When she had disappeared at the age of twelve, he tried to tell people that it was Kenta's doing and was ignored. He had no proof and was just a child. It was not until after her escape from the shed that people realized the true horrors that she had endured. Kenta's family had noticed that he had been gone for a few days and a search party found his corpse in the lab, along with all of the evidence of his misdeeds. His family had decided to leave his body there, wishing to forget what he had done and finding no sorrow in his demise. No one had noticed the hole at the back of his skull except for Ichirou, who had gone back to search for clues that Noriko was still alive.

He mentioned seeing a dark figure near the shed at night, often venturing down into the depths of the lab to retrieve something. A dark figure with a truck that had a corporation logo on it. _Most likely related to the person that keeps rebuilding him. Who would want him to succeed though? And what if Sonic's right about him having connections in the Hero Association?_

"We should go soon. We got what we came here for and the longer we stay, the more likely we'll be confronted by a hero." Sonic smirked and came to stand next to where she was sitting. "As much as I like a challenge, I'd rather get this whole thing over with so I can get my payment."

She grimaced, her tail twitching at the end. "Your payment's decided by the level of danger and so far, this hasn't been dangerous at all. So what does that mean for your payment, Sonic?" Petting one of the cats, Noriko briefly thought of Koneko. _I'm missing her birthday party today. I hope she's okay. I know that Saitama will take good care of her, but I really hope she isn't depressed. If I make it out of this alive, I'll have to make it up to her somehow._

The man shoved his hands into his pockets and tilted his head, a small grin taking form. "I'm pretty sure you said it was negotiable. You know, I usually name a price and people take it. You're not really in a position where you can refuse. Or do you really think you can fight your ex-boyfriend if he comes to take you to prison?"

A low growl formed at the back of her throat and before she could snap at him, she was interrupted by the sound of tires skidding over the dry earth. Noriko turned quickly and saw a familiar figure on a bicycle, frozen at the edge of the empty space behind the buildings. He parked the bicycle and started walking over cautiously, seemingly taken aback at Sonic's presence. "Hn. Did the Hero Association send you?" she asked, standing.

"No. Um…" Mumen Rider glanced from her to Sonic and back. "I overheard some other heroes talking about you this morning. Something about who would have to fight you if you turned into a monster. I asked them about it and…are you going after Kenta?"

Her eyes took on a predatory gleam as she reached for one of her swords. "You can't stop me. I have to do this to protect everyone. It's my job."

"No! No, I didn't come to stop you. I wasn't sent by the Hero Association, either. I'm only Class C and I heard that you were going to be classified as threat level demon. Because you were spotted by some heroes with _him_. I want to help you, Noriko."

She could tell by his tone that he was being truthful. It was not a trap to lower her defenses. He had no intention of fighting her or trying to stop her. "Do you realize what might happen to you if you help me?" she inquired, crossing her arms.

"They said that anyone helping you will be classified as a villain, but I know that you're doing this for a good reason! You're like me; we both have a strong sense of justice. What Kenta did to that girl, that fan of Genos, was wrong. If he does that to more people, or if he found a way to do that on a _mass scale_ , I can't imagine the pain that it would cause. That's why I'm here. I'm your friend, Noriko. I want to help you take him down."

"She already has _me_ ," Sonic spoke up, putting himself between her and the hero. "So get lost. We can handle this ourselves."

"If he wants to help, he can help," she argued. Stepping around Sonic, she walked over to Mumen Rider. "Are you sure about this? If they send Genos or Saitama to come after us…"

"Then I will do everything that I can to make sure that we're able to stop Kenta!" He spoke with confidence, but his face showed that he was definitely a little unsettled at the thought of fighting either of the heroes.

"Alright. Thank you." Without giving it a second thought, she moved in for a hug. He hugged back, but his hold lingered for a moment. She could feel Sonic's glare upon her back and was not surprised when he gripped her shoulder to pull her away from her friend.

The hero watched the ninja possessively wrap his arms around Noriko from behind and awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. "So why are you wearing his clothes?"

Her face instantly turned red. "Er…I was trying to not be noticed."

"Taking off your hat defeats the purpose of the rest of the disguise. Not that I mind." Sonic felt her tail lightly coil around his leg and smirked down at her. "Your tail got loose. Did you even notice that?"

"Hn…shut up." She tried to look at her friend and found him looking away, seemingly embarrassed that he was witnessing this odd exchange. "Did you hear anything from Saitama or Genos? Did they say anything about being sent to find me?"

"No. Well, Saitama wanted me to go to Koneko's birthday party today, but I had to get here fast. I wasn't sure how long you would stay in City G, but I knew that if you left City Z that this is where you would go first. I was only able to find you here because I saw some cats rushing this way and followed them on a hunch."

"That's…a little weird. Oh. One second." Her phone was ringing and when she drew it from her pocket, she recognized the number. _Saitama? He's been calling me and I haven't answered, but what if he knows now?_ Shaking her head, she shoved it back into her pocket.

"What? You're still ignoring his calls?" Sonic teased her. He felt her shaking and frowned. Holding her a little tighter, he tried to subtly reassure her.

"Is that Saitama? You know, when I talked to him on the phone, he sounded sort of down. He didn't make it really obvious, but I knew that something was wrong so I tried to ask him about it and he said that he was worried about you." Mumen Rider frowned. "You should talk to him, Noriko."

"Don't. If you call him, you'll just encourage him to look for you." Glaring at the cyclist over Noriko's shoulder, Sonic silently challenged him. "We're leaving for City M. Think you can keep up?"

Mumen Rider was already moving back to get on his bicycle. "If you want to stay unnoticed by other heroes, Noriko will have to hide her ears and tail again. And you'll have to take the train if you don't want to draw attention to yourself. I'm sure you already knew that though." With a small smile, he started pedaling off.

Noriko half-grinned and walked after him. "He's got a point. Besides, the longer we take, the more time we have to come up with a real plan."


	90. Chapter 90

The tension was thick as the train rolled along. Noriko sat with her arms crossed, head bowed as she tried to concentrate on what they had to do when they reached their location. _We'll have to find that company, of course. But we don't even know what the company's name is. Ichirou was only able to give us a description of the logo._ She glanced across to the other hero and frowned.

Mumen Rider was seated across from her, slouching against the window. His expression was peaceful, which puzzled the girl at first until she noticed the slow movement of his breathing. It was then that she remembered what he had told them when he joined their group. He had heard about her problem very early that morning. Raising an eyebrow, she leaned toward him a little. _If he heard about it this morning…he must have come here right after. He still isn't in the best shape, either. But he came here to help me anyway._

"We need to ditch him." The words came from the man beside her and held nothing but irritation. "He's going to slow us down. Do you really think he can last in a fight like this?"

"I don't think he'd leave, even if I told him to. You saw how eager he was to help."

Sonic tilted he head back against the window and grimaced. "You think he's really that eager to help you? He just wants to get something out of this."

"He just has a strong sense of justice; that's why he's here."

"Or he's just stupid or crazy. What sane person would go along with your plan, Noriko? Think about it. He's putting himself in a lot of danger. When your association finds out that he's with us, he'll be classified as a villain. Every hero could go after him. He might even _die_." Sonic saw her wince from the corner of his eye and smirked. "So do you get it now? Tell him to leave."

"Hn. If no sane person would go along with my plan, why are _you_ here?" she countered. Leaning her head against his shoulder, she sighed. _Should I tell Mumen Rider to go home? I really don't want him to get hurt again._ Sonic stood and announced that he was going to find food before wandering off. The girl watched Mumen Rider seem to jolt awake and look around before he faced her. "Are you going to be okay? If you don't feel well-"

"You think that I won't be able to actually help you." He straightened in his seat and frowned. "Is that what you think, Noriko?"

"That's not it! I'm just worried about you. You look really tired and I know your injuries aren't fully healed. I don't want you to get hurt. I just…I mean, if you don't feel up to it…and there's going to be a lot of danger. If you don't feel up to it, I won't be offended if you want to leave."

The man pushed his goggles up and gave her a look of slight disappointment. "I _need_ to do this. It isn't just about doing what's right, either." Lowering his eyes to the floor, he sighed. "Koneko will be in danger as long as he's alive, won't she? When we fought Kenta together, I didn't like the way that he kept looking at her. The way that he spoke to her like she wasn't human." His hands curled into fists now. "I felt like I failed at protecting her, even though she was able to defend herself. I want to do this for Koneko."

Her feline ears twitched beneath her hat. "You're really close friends now, aren't you? But…I guess I'm pretty happy that she has a friend like you, Mumen Rider. I feel like she's become a better person since meeting you."

The two jumped as her phone rang. Noriko drew it from her pocket and frowned a little. _It's Saitama again. He's been calling for a while._ Her eyes lifted and she tried to see if Sonic was near. The man was nowhere to be seen. Though he had said that talking to her roommates would only encourage them to find her, she felt guilty about not speaking to them. With her heart racing, she answered the call. "Saitama?"

"You're still alive." He sounded slightly surprised, but definitely relieved.

"Uh…yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" She let Mumen Rider sit beside her and slouched a bit in her seat. "Is everything okay? Is Koneko alright?"

"Yeah. Hey, so what's going on? We found that note that you left so we thought you were just running an errand or something and then we found that mess in the ravine. Why did you try to fake your death? That's a little extreme. If you wanted to break up-"

"Wait. What? Fake my death? And what mess in what ravine?" She straightened her posture now, her stomach aching at his words. _Sonic said he would take the collar somewhere that we'd never go. What exactly did he do with it?!_

There was a short pause. "Is Sonic with you right now?"

"No. He went to get food. Hn. So tell me what happened." She listened to him talk, feeling worse and worse with every detail. When he told her about Sonic talking to him on her phone, she felt her anger spike. "He _what_?!"

"Yeah, he sent me a picture of you guys together. On your phone. So why is Sonic with you? And why'd you leave? I haven't told Genos about Sonic being there so you don't have to worry about him getting mad. Yet. He's still upset about your fake death thing. Is anyone else with you? What are you doing?"

Noriko glanced over at Mumen Rider, who was looking through his phone. A look at his screen showed many missed calls from the Hero Association. "Um…Mumen Rider is with me, too. I can't tell you what we're doing though, Saitama."

"It can't be that bad. It's not like you two are going to hook up or something."

 _No, but how are you not worried about Sonic being with me?_ Sighing, she leaned her head back against the window. "Of course not. I didn't ask him to come, either; he just showed up and joined us. And I had to hire Sonic for this. I don't want you or Genos to get involved so can you please just take care of Koneko until I get back?"

"Can't do that." There was a sheepish sort of tone to his voice and it was clear that he was smiling. "I left her with a capable babysitter and started looking for you. So where are you guys? I want to help."

"Y-you don't even know what-! Hngh! Saitama, you can't join us, alright?! I'm not even completely okay with Mumen Rider helping me!" she snapped.

"I'm going to find you no matter where you are. Just tell me so it'll be quicker."

"I'm not going to let you become a villain just so you can help me!" she blurted out. Noriko paled and covered her mouth with a hand. _Did I really just say that?!_

"Huh? Why would I become a villain by helping you? What are you doing? Oh. Hey, Genos. So what'd the Hero Association want?"

"Who are you talking to, Master Saitama? Is that Noriko?" The blonde's voice could be heard now as he neared the bald hero's side.

"Yeah. She's with Mumen Rider, but she won't say where she is."

Noriko slouched, bowing her head. Locks of dark violet hair fell over her eyes and she sighed in frustration. "I'm not letting you help me! I wanted to do this by myself, okay?! It's my _job_ to do this! Why can't anyone understand that?!"

"Because I love you." The answer was blunt and spoken with absolute certainty. "I don't want to see you get hurt. So just tell us where you are."

"If you help me, the Hero Association will mark you as villains," she quietly explained. Though there were no citizens around them, she still glanced around. "I've been marked as a monster for going against the association's orders and Mumen Rider is going to get classified as a villain for helping me. I only asked for Sonic's help because I knew that he had nothing to lose by helping me, Saitama. So please don't try to help me. I don't want anything to happen to you or Genos."

"I did not realize that you asked for that pervert's help. Did you think that we would object to helping you over something so trivial?" Genos was speaking now, his tone conveying a certain level of hurt. "I know that you are on a train bound for City M. I was able to trace the location of your phone. We will be there to meet you and when you arrive, I expect a full explanation of what you are planning, Noriko."

"Hey, that was rude." Saitama got his phone back and it was clear that he was frowning. "So I got King to babysit, but he's still kind of nervous around Koneko. Let's try to make this quick. You want to give me a heads up on what it is that we're doing?"

"I said that I don't want your help! Why can't you just listen to me?!" Noriko hung up and gripped her phone tightly. She briefly considered smashing it against the floor, but in the end she just tucked it back into her pocket.

Mumen Rider watched her run her fingers through her hair and listened to the sigh that left her lips. "Are you alright?"

"They want to help, but they have no idea what's going on. And when Genos sees me with you and Sonic…" She heard a sound of amusement and looked up through her violet hair to find Sonic standing before her. "Hn. You look pleased with yourself."

"Were you talking to your _ex_?" he taunted, crossing his arms.

"They're going to City M. I told them not to. I told them what's going to happen to them if they try to help me." Noriko tugged the hat down a little more to shade her teary eyes as he sat on her other side. _Why can't they just listen? This is embarrassing! This is going to ruin them both! I told them that it's my job to do this, but they wouldn't listen!_

"I told you not to talk to Saitama. What did you think would happen?" Sonic saw the tears shining in her eyes and frowned. Pulling her tighter against his side, he began to consider their options. Losing her to Saitama and Genos again was not something that he wanted. The thought made his blood boil. When she had come to him for help, it had made him feel important. Like he was the only man she could truly turn to. "So we'll get off at a different train station."

"What are you saying? The company we're looking for is based in City M," she muttered. Wiping at her eyes with the sleeve of the borrowed shirt, she grimaced.

Mumen Rider seemed to catch onto Sonic's plan immediately. "He's right. Noriko, if we get off at a train station between cities, it will throw them off your trail. We just need to put your phone somewhere so that it gets off at the train station in City M while we get off at the next station. Then we can walk the rest of the way."

She looked down at her phone, her shoulders drooping. "What if Koneko-?"

"If she really needs something, she can ask Saitama," he assured her. "We'll slip your phone into someone's bag when they move to get off of the train."

The three looked around and soon remembered that they were the only ones in that train car. Sonic sighed and held out his hand. "Give it to me. I'll figure this out."

Noriko saw him seem to vanish and finally let her tears fall. _Damn it. I didn't think I'd be talking to Genos. Things might've been okay if I had just talked to Saitama. Why did Genos have to take his phone? He sound upset. He sounded really upset. I didn't want him to know that Sonic was with me. I didn't want him to be hurt._ She felt Mumen Rider's hand on her shoulder and frowned. "Genos…I don't think he'll ever forgive me for this."

"I think he will when he finds out why you're doing this. I know it probably hurt them, but it's for a worthy cause. Kenta needs to be stopped," her friend assured her. He smiled when the girl looked over at him. "Besides, I can tell that they'll understand when we tell them what we did. They'll have to."

When they got off of the train, Noriko was shaking a little. She looked around, but there was no sign of Saitama or Genos. Instead, she found two other familiar faces waiting for her at the train station. With a frown, she quickly broke from her companions to approach the rat monsters. They greeted her with smiles, but she did not return the sentiment. "How did you know I would be here?" she quietly demanded.

Otaku Rat beamed. "We have a friend that was watching you," he said, motioning toward something perched on NEET Rat's shoulder. It was a rat that was normal in size, but with feathery brown wings protruding from its back. "Winged Rat. Isn't he cute? He's a big fan, too! And anyway, we're here to offer our help."

Noriko's tail puffed with alarm when she felt Sonic's arm around her waist from behind. He glared at the monsters over her shoulder. "What are you both staring at?" he taunted. "And give me a reason why I shouldn't just kill you both. You're on that creep's side, aren't you?"

NEET Rat tugged his fedora down to shade his beady black eyes. "Pfft! We're bigger fans of Samurai Catgirl than Kenta-sensei. And besides, we have some pretty valuable information. Don't know if you _want_ it though, if you're going to talk to us like that."

"What kind of information?" the cyclist hero asked. He saw the small rat on the monster's shoulder tilt its head and lean closer to look up at him. "What is that?"

"Winged Rat. He's our surveillance. The information we have is pretty important. So is Speed o' Sound Sonic going to back off or should we just leave?" NEET Rat smirked when Sonic was silent, simply glaring at the monsters. "Ichirou's part of the fan club too, you know. Has been since she became a hero. He said he talked to her about the company that's funding Kenta-sensei." Pausing to once again adjust his fedora, his whiskers began to twitch. "Wait a second. Something feels _bad_. Otaku Rat-"

"A hero! S-class, it feels like! We'll have to hurry back to the base, NEET Rat!" Otaku Rat pushed up his glasses and quickly stuffed the small winged rat into his bag. He looked to Noriko with wide eyes, his body trembling from the tip of his nose to the end of his tail. "It's called Biogenic Mechanica Corporation. They specialize in modifying living things to make them deadly. Please, please, please be careful! I wish we could help, but this hero-!"

"It's _not_ your boyfriend." NEET Rat met her gaze with one filled with fear. "Don't let him kill you, got it?! I want to see you take down Kenta-sensei!"

She watched the two scurry off and stared vacantly for a moment. "An S-class hero?"

"Must be some loser that they sent to get you." Sonic began to grin, ever so slightly. Reaching to the katana sheathed behind him, he felt his heart race with excitement. "Finally some danger. We'll see about my payment after we finish off this so-called hero."

Beside her, Mumen Rider curled his hands into fists. Despite being afraid of the unknown danger heading their way, he stood at her side ready to help. "Which hero do you think it is?"

"I…I don't know. If we're classified as a demon level threat then it might be a lower ranking one," Noriko replied with a sliver of hope. She unsheathed one sword, unsure of just how horrible of a danger they might be facing.


	91. Chapter 91

Noriko's heart was racing as she fixed her gaze upon the street ahead of her. The girl tightened her grip on her sword, trying not to let the others see how nervous she was. _Those rat monsters said that it was a Class S hero. I don't know how they could know that, but I'm not going to let my guard down._ A glance at her companions showed that they both seemed to be ready to fight whoever was coming their way. "Hn. What if it's Saitama and Genos?"

"It wouldn't be them," Sonic answered quickly. "You know that they're going to be looking for you all over the other side of the city, where your phone should be now. I'm pretty sure this is just a low ranking Class S."

"But we're considered threat level demon," Mumen Rider pointed out. "They might have sent more than one hero."

"You really think that you're a big part of this, don't you? The only reason why I haven't killed you yet is because she won't let me. So let me set some rules. Don't get any ideas in your head about taking control of this plan and don't talk to her."

Noriko's tail shifted free of the pants she was wearing and began to whip back and forth quickly. "That's enough. Look, since we're all here, we need to work together. Whether you like it or not. I mean, it's not like I signed a contract or anything when I hired you, right? What's to stop me from changing my mind?" She caught the glare that he shot her and smirked. "Okay? So stop bothering my friend before I decide that I don't need you."

"You need me and we both know it." Those were his last words before their attention was drawn back to the road ahead. At the sight of their weapons, normal citizens began to run from the area. Now it was just the three of them and the sense of something ominous approaching.

The catgirl's fur bristled as she considered who might have been sent to stop them. _It might be King, but I doubt it. I hear that he doesn't go even if the Hero Association sends him. What if it's someone like Metal Bat or Child Emperor? They're just normal people, aren't they? Could I really fight them?_ Fear ran through her as she considered a different possibility. A much worse possibility that made her begin to tremble ever so slightly. _What if it's Bang? Or…_ _ **her**_ _? But she only goes after the big monsters, right?_

"Are you alright, Noriko?" Mumen Rider had taken notice of her shaking and now he gave her a concerned frown. "If you want to go on without us, we can try to keep them busy. We can meet up with you later."

"She isn't going anywhere. It's too late anyway. Here they come. Ugh." Sonic was quick to dodge the large figure that swiftly approached, grabbing Noriko and pulling her to safety with him. Disgust made his lips turn down and he kept an arm securely wrapped around the girl's waist. When his grey eyes met the light blue ones of their opponent, he felt his repulsion increase tenfold at the way the man batted his long eyelashes. "So it's _you_. I thought you only left prison to help heroes that you liked."

"I can't break out to come visit a _cute villain_ like you? From what I've seen on the news though, you've been really naughty lately, Sonic. Were you going to spend Valentine's Day with this cat-eared hussy? I just can't let something like that happen! I won't lose you to a little brat like her!" Puri Puri Prisoner winked and blew him a kiss, smiling afterwards. "When I crush that purple-haired monster into the ground, I'll just have to punish you, Sonic~"

"Stop saying my name. It's making me sick." He let his hand wander up from the girl's waist to cup the side of her chest, making her yelp in alarm. An evil grin spread across his face as he leaned down to the side of her neck. Lips grazed her pale skin and he felt her tense in his hold. "So, basically, you came here to split us up. That's what you want, isn't it?" Seeing the man nod, his grin grew. "I'm not going to let _anyone_ separate me from her again. So go ahead and try. See what happens."

Mumen Rider watched this exchange and, despite blushing faintly at how Sonic was handling Noriko, he managed to maintain a courageous attitude. "We need to make this quick! The longer we're here, the more time he'll have to escape the city!"

Noriko shivered when her green eyes met the blue ones of the hero standing just a few feet in front of her. _He wants to kill me. I can feel it. Murderous intent. He wanted to kill me before, but he couldn't. Now that I'm classified as a monster, there's nothing to stop him from smashing my skull in! Nothing…except for Sonic._ Though she was scared, she pulled out of Sonic's hold and forced her fear to the back of her mind. She narrowed her eyes and walked toward Puri Puri Prisoner with a smirk on her face. "You really want him all to yourself?"

"Listen here, little girl. That cutie is _mine_. A kid like you wouldn't even know what to do with a man like him! You're not even that cute. So be good and stand still so I can finish you quickly and get to what I came here for!"

She swiftly dodged to the side, avoiding a massive fist to her face, and raised an eyebrow. "You don't even know why we're here, do you?" Though her voice sounded calm, her heart was racing and she was panicking inwardly. _I'm dead! He's going to kill me if I can't keep him talking! As long as I can distract him, he won't fight seriously, right?! I wish Mumen Rider would just run ahead of us!_

"All I know is what the news said. You went rogue like a _jealous little girl_ and want to kill the only other catperson that could even _hope_ to rank high in the Hero Association because he's your competition. You know, the photos they have on the news always make him look so dreamy~ What was his name? Catman Scavenger? He looks so _hot_ in that tight white outfit of his! I can't let you hurt him, you cat-eared _hussy_!" Puri Puri Prisoner swung again and when she dodged, he moved to try to grab her tail.

The girl twisted quickly to avoid his grasp and her smirk faltered. "You think _he's_ cute? Your taste in men sucks." She leapt back to escape another grab, keeping her sword off to the side. _As long as I don't kill any heroes, I might be redeemable, right?_ A thought came to her and her smirk grew. "You know what? I take it back. You do like Sonic, right? You want him? I just have an unofficial contract with him. Go ahead and take him; it will just make things easier for me and Mumen Rider."

"You'd give up on the man you love that easily?! You spoiled little-! Do you have any idea what a _treasure_ he is? Your pairing with him is the only reason why you're classified as such a high threat level! You do realize that, don't you? On your own, you're just a weak little girl! I could crush you like a bug!"

When the man darted forward, he got close enough to her that she would be unable to dodge his punches. He drew back a fist, ready to annihilate the girl, but was shocked by the black-haired man suddenly standing between him and Noriko. Sonic glared up at him, raising an eyebrow. "What part of 'I'm not going to let anyone separate her from me again' did you not understand?" He saw the man's look of surprise and it only fed his amusement. "We have a job to do. We're not leaving here until it's done. Don't you have something better to do?"

Puri Puri Prisoner lowered his fist and pouted. "I'm not going to lose you to some flea-bitten feline temptress like her!"

 _I don't think I've ever been called a temptress and I didn't expect to ever hear it from someone like Puri Puri Prisoner._ Noriko was trying hard not to laugh as she tried to look him in the eye. "You can have him."

"You think you can get rid of me that easily?" Sonic demanded.

Meanwhile, Mumen Rider was now looking off into the distance. His pulse raced as he recognized a pair of figures coming their way down the road. "N-Noriko, we need to get out of here. I don't know if-!" His words came too late and soon a particular blonde cyborg was coming done upon the trio.

Noriko's eyes widened and she had no time to dodge as a heavy body slammed her into the cement. Gritting her teeth against the pain, she refused to look him in the eye. _This is it! I'm dead for sure now! Between Puri Puri Prisoner wanting to kill me for being with Sonic…and now Genos wanting to kill me for being with Sonic…yeah, I'm pretty sure I'm not going to live to see tomorrow, let alone stop Kenta's plan!_ She felt metal fingers digging into her shoulders through Sonic's shirt and winced. "Ngh. You don't even know what's going on, Genos! I didn't leave because-!"

"The Hero Association would not tell me why you have been classified as a monster, but it was requested that I take you in." He was sitting on her waist and stared down at her now, taking in her appearance. "What are you wearing? Those are not your clothes."

"They're mine," Sonic spoke up with a smirk. "We're dating now. She left you for me. How does that make you feel? I bet you think-"

"You are dating him?" Genos tightened his grip on her shoulders subconsciously and heard her yelp beneath him. Loosening his hold so she would not be hurt, he leaned down to her feline ear. "I told you what would happen if you dated someone else. I will take you in front of him and eliminate him."

Her eyes snapped open at his words and saw a dark expression on his face. "Wait…it's not really like that! I'm not dating him! I hired him to help me kill Kenta! That's what this whole thing is about, Genos!"

"Oh, cool. You found Nya-chan." Saitama peered down at them over the side of the small crater and smiled. "Whoa. What are you wearing, Nya-chan? Those look like guy clothes. Wait. Were you in disguise or something? It actually looks kind of cute."

"Saitama! Er…did you come here to try to stop us from defeating Kenta?" Mumen Rider approached him with caution, unsure of whether or not they were about to fight.

"Huh? Kenta? Is that what this is about?" It seemed to slowly dawn on him and his expression grew serious. "Genos, bring Nya-chan out of there. We need to talk."

When she was lifted over the blonde's shoulder, she started to shake a little. _He did say that he would do that if I dated another guy, but I don't want him to kill Sonic! And I never agreed to date that creep anyway!_ She met Sonic's gaze when she was lifted out of the crater and was disappointed when the cyborg made no move to put her down. "Hn…so are you taking me to prison then? Or will you just kill me?"

Saitama stared at her for a moment as his expression shifted to deadpan. "What? No way. We're not doing either of those things. Hey, bring her over here." He smiled up at her as she started to blush and reached behind her neck with both hands. A leather band pressed tightly against her throat for a second before loosening. When he pulled away, he poked the tiny bell on her collar. "There we go. Cute."

"Sorry to break up this little reunion, but we have a job to do," Sonic spoke up, disgusted by how close the hero had gotten to Noriko.

"So are you with us or against us?" Mumen Rider asked, still not sure of what was happening. "We need to move fast, but we still have a problem."

"I came here for a reason. To see my sexy little Sonic~" Puri Puri Prisoner approached the group now and leaned on one hip, crossing his arms. "I didn't think I'd be seeing Genos today. I should have put on a little more mascara. What a lucky day for me though! I get to see _two_ cute guys and I get to pulverize that cat-eared slut~"

Noriko bit her lip to withhold a yelp when Genos moved to avoid the man grabbing for her. "Ah! Wait a second! I want to fight!" she protested.

"I am not letting this man get near you. If I do, I am sure that he will kill you," Genos argued calmly. "And you will not be fighting Kenta. Master Saitama and I will take care of him."

"I want to fight, damn it! Put me down!" She struggled in his hold as he dodged the larger hero again and again, her anger growing with each refusal to release her. In her rage, Noriko acted rashly. Her sword plunged into the back of his leg and she hissed loudly. It did manage to mildly surprise him long enough for her to flip over his back. "You're not here to help me! You're not here to take me back to prison, but you're not here to help me! The only reason why you came here was to try to keep me safe, right? But you know how I feel when it comes to Kenta! You know! And by killing him, by not stopping me, you'll be classified as a _villain_!"

"So?" Saitama shrugged nonchalantly when all eyes turned to him. "I mean, we know that what he's going to do is wrong. We know what that guy's really like. The Hero Association didn't believe you, did they? I don't know what connections he might have, but going against him is like going against the association, isn't it? That's probably what they told you anyway. I don't get it, but I don't want you to be alone in this."

"She isn't alone. She has me and she has this weakling over here. We were fine before you showed up so just let us finish this," Sonic stated firmly. Though he was not about to mention that once the task was complete, he planned to take his payment from her. A yet to be decided, negotiable payment that he had spent a decent amount of time considering.

Genos turned his attention back to Noriko and his expression began to darken. "If she intends to fight Kenta alone, then I will give her a demonstration of a cyborg's power. Even if you do fight alongside that pervert and Mumen Rider, you will find it difficult if he focuses on you and you know that he will focus his attacks on you. Maybe this will convince you that our help is needed."

"Wait. What? You're going to actually fight her?" Saitama asked. "I just said that we were going to help her. Is this about what Sonic said earlier? You heard what Nya-chan said; she just hired him to help her kill Kenta."

"You think that's all there is to this? You don't even know how she pays me, do you?" the ninja taunted. "I guess I can't expect someone like _you_ to understand. You're so far from her type, I doubt that she gives you a second glance."

"Huh? Oh. Look. See? We match now." He tugged at the collar of his costume to show the scar left by Noriko's bite. "I think mine's deeper."

"We need to focus on finding Kenta! We know the name of the company that's building his bodies so the sooner we go-!" Mumen Rider was interrupted by Saitama's hand on his shoulder. "Does Genos know how important this is?!"

"Yeah, but this is important, too. You know, he was pretty upset when we thought she died. I think he's just really relieved to see she's okay and he just doesn't know how to deal with it. They'll be fine. We'll just watch and let them sort this out. Then we can move on."

Puri Puri Prisoner watched the fight begin and pouted. "He didn't even look at me. What a waste. And since he's going to break her apart, there's no reason for me to really stay. I have better things to do anyway."


	92. Chapter 92

"What are they doing? I thought you said we were in danger."

"We _are_ in danger! That cow is coming here to try to kill me! How can you sit there and act calm?!" Kenta wiped drool from the corner of his mouth and continued to pace. The room they were in was dark except for the light coming from the monitors before them. His crimson eyes landed on one screen and he was filled with amusement at the image displayed there. "Huhuhuh! Are you serious?! Zoom in!"

The command was obeyed and the camera zoomed in on the small group gathered at one of the train stations. There was a total of four heroes there, as well as a well-known assassin. The strange thing was that the catgirl that they had feared was coming to kill them was now battling the cyborg. "Aren't they supposed to be in a relationship?"

"Look at them! They're turning against each other! What do we even have to be afraid of? We could go down there and they probably wouldn't even notice us!" Kenta gripped the back of his companion's chair and smirked, his red eyes going wide.

The companion looked over their shoulder, raising an eyebrow. "You look evil. Fix your face if you want my help getting into the Hero Association. They won't take you if you make faces like that. And do something about that drooling. I don't know what's wrong with you. I keep making you new bodies and each one drools worse than the last." They slouched in their chair and fixed their gaze on Samurai Catgirl. Hatred burned in their eyes, watching the girl fight the cyborg. "What do you want to do then? You want to go watch them up close? They might hurt you again."

"You'll patch me up, won't you? I'm your sensei." Kenta reach down with sharp claws and pinched their cheek. "I'm your Kenta-sensei. You won't let her boyfriend kill me."

Frowning deeply, they pushed themselves up from their chair to stand. "Right now, you should be more worried about _her_. She went against the Hero Association and now she's risking her life just so she can try to stop you. This isn't a social call. She wants to tear you apart limb from limb. Isn't there some way to control that cat? What did you do when you had her in the lab? I doubt she was obedient from the start."

"The best way to control an animal is fear. Let me rephrase that. The best way to control _any_ living thing in through fear. And pain. If you make it hurt enough, anything can grow to fear you and then it's just a matter of giving them orders."

They slipped up the hood of their jacket and sighed, shoving their hands into their pockets. "You still want to kill her? Almost seems like a _waste_ after the work you put into her, sensei. Besides, she'll be the mother of the catgirl army."

Kenta's feline ears perked forward and he snickered. "That suits that cow! Being a mom to hundreds of little catgirls!"

"That wasn't my point. I mean that if you kill her and something goes wrong with your army, then that will be the end of the catgirls. That little one's too vicious to use and she doesn't possess the parent DNA that we need. She's essentially a generic version of her mother." Their eyes shifted back to the screen as their frown deepened.

"What are you saying? We should keep that cow alive?! She's an _abomination_! A big chested abomination with a bad attitude! She needs to-! Wait…huhuhuh! Don't tell me that you _want_ her!" Seeing his companion's cheeks turn pink, he cackled. "I can't believe it! You really think she's _cute_?! She's _disgusting_! She's a _monster_! She's literally classified as a monster now! What? So you want to do stuff with her? Is that it? You have a thing for big boobs? I didn't think you were into that stuff! Okay, fine! You want her? I'll beat her into submission and wrap her up in a ribbon as a gift for you!"

 **Shift P.O.V**

A lot was happening around her at once and the overstimulation was setting her on edge. Noriko now had both swords unsheathed and was doing her best to avoid the cyborg's attacks, but it was becoming difficulty. His stamina was better than hers, as well as his strength, but each time a hit connected she was able to quickly recover and rush at him again. The girl's ears were perked forward in alertness, her tail swishing side to side as she paused to watch him for his next attack. _He's angry. I don't blame him; he thinks that I faked my death to break up with him and now he's seen me with Sonic. And Sonic told him that we're dating. I never agreed to that._

"Did you really think that you would be able to defeat him on your own? Have you forgotten what happened last time?" Genos was on her quickly, a hand gripping her throat. His palm was hot against her skin and she thrashed in fear. The blonde's free hand tangled into her violet hair, pulling her face back so she was forced to meet his intense stare.

She bared her fangs in a silent hiss. The pressure against her throat kept any sounds silent and left her simply glaring up at him in defiance. _I can't even explain myself if he's gripping my neck like this! Does he really expect an answer?! Wait…wait a second!_ Noriko's green eyes went wide when he leaned in closer. Her mouth was covered by his and she started to squirm violently. _This isn't the time! This is the worst possible time for this!_ Using all of her strength and courage, she wedged a leg between their bodies and managed to push him away. She leapt back quickly to dodge a grasping arm, her heart beating faster when she looked at his face.

"Hey! It's been almost twenty minutes. When are you guys going to be done?" Saitama called to them. "I mean, shouldn't we go find Kenta and get this over with? The sooner we get that done, the sooner we can take some proof to the Hero Association and clear Nya-chan's name."

"Noriko, we need to move quickly! If we keep stalling, he's going to come to us and we won't have an advantage anymore!" Mumen Rider glanced down the road anxiously.

Sonic was standing away from the others, his arms crossed as he watched the fight. He had been impressed with her skills until Genos caught her by the neck. When he saw the cyborg kiss her, it had made his blood boil. Though he wanted to intervene, something told him that it was better not to. It was pretty clear that Noriko wanted to do this on her own and their contract was for him to help her with Kenta. It said nothing about stopping Genos. The fight was proving to take a toll on her though; the shirt she was wearing had been ripped and she looked tired. When he saw the blonde grab her arm and throw her, he knew he had to make a move.

She had no idea what the cyborg's plan was when he grabbed her arm, but when he forcefully tossed her down the road, it shocked her. The rough cement scraped her left cheek, tore open her sleeve to bruise and bloody her left arm, and scraped her leg. She skidded over the concrete and shakily pushed herself to her hands and knees when the initial shock wore off. When Genos approached, she quickly moved to grab her swords and brace herself to defend. The girl saw his hand raise, his palm glowing as her feline ears drew back in fear.

"I told you that I would show you the true strength of a cyborg to prepare you for your fight with Kenta. Now tell me. After experiencing a battle with a cyborg, do you still want me to stay out of this? Or would you rather have me at your side?"

 _Is he going to incinerate me if I say 'no'?! Why is he looking at me like that?_ The fur on her tail puffed up in alarm as she saw the glowing of his palm intensify. "F-fine! You can help, just don't-!" She interrupted herself with a yelp as she was lifted in someone's arms. The catgirl subconsciously put her arms around their neck to steady herself and trembled.

"Hey, it's okay," Saitama assured her. He frowned when he saw Sonic twitch in the distance, where he was lying face down on the ground. The ninja had moved to help Noriko, but something inside the hero snapped for a moment. The thought of not being the one to help her was irksome to say the least so he had acted quickly and more or less swatted Sonic into the ground. Now that he was holding her in his arms, he was able to feel her shaking with fear. It made him frown. "It's okay, kitty. Look, we'll just take a second to relax and then we'll go find that creep."

"Master Saitama, our fight was not done," Genos stated, his expression dark.

"I'm not going to let you try to incinerate her. You know, she's shaking right now. You shouldn't scare her so bad that she's shaking."

"We really do need to hurry if we want to surprise Kenta," Mumen Rider commented. "If we wait too long, he'll know that we're here. He might send monsters to fight us."

"Huh? Well, that shouldn't be too bad. They're all pretty weak. Even Kenta. He keeps getting bodies made of weak materials, right, Genos?"

"Yes. Whoever he hired to build his bodies seems to be working on a budget." Genos tilted his head, staring at the violet-haired girl being held by his master. "I can carry my own girlfriend. Please give her back to me, Master Saitama."

"No way. It feels great to hold her after not seeing her for a while." He held her tighter and felt her warm, soft chest press against him. "You're so comfy, Nya-chan."

By this point, the ninja had pushed himself free of the concrete and was glaring at the four heroes. Puri Puri Prisoner had disappeared shortly after Noriko began to fight Genos. It seemed that he had no desire to watch when the catgirl was involved. Sonic wanted to leave as well, but stayed out of obligation to Noriko. Their contract still stood and he intended to collect what he was rightfully owed once their task was complete.

Genos was passively protesting that he carry Noriko, despite her argument that she could take care of herself, but Saitama held onto her firmly and rubbed the spot above her tail to make her yowl. Mumen Rider was once again trying to convince them that they needed to hurry while Sonic watched the display with a vexed expression on his face. He was the first to acknowledge two figures approaching from down the road.

The figure on the left was unfamiliar. They had a slight frame, hidden beneath a pair of baggy jeans and a loose-fitting grey hooded sweatshirt with an anime catgirl on the front. Their face was hidden in the shadows of the hood, but their stare could be felt all the same. On the right was Kenta, who sneered when his red eyes met Sonic's grey ones. "Huhuhuh! Look at this! All of my abomination's admirers in one place at the same time. What a coincidence! Or did we walk in on a gangbang?"

The person beside him seemed to tilt their head. "Don't be so vulgar. And what did I say about making that face? Why don't you wipe the drool from your chin, sensei?" Their voice was quiet, calm, as they stood watching the group with their hands in their pockets.

"Who's that guy? Did he just call Kenta 'sensei'?" Saitama turned toward the two figures and raised an eyebrow. "Mumen Rider was right; we should've left sooner."

"Master Saitama, that boy seems to be Kenta's student. Do you want me to take care of him first?" Genos watched the figure tilt their head, the movement subtle beneath their hood. Light caught the lower half of their face and showed their tongue swiping over their lips. "What are you staring at? Are you here to fight or do you plan to watch your teacher die? Who are you?" he demanded.

They took a step forward, but kept their face mostly hidden in shadow. "Me? I'm just a person lacking presence. I'm a nobody. I guess if I have to be called something, I'd rather be called 'Grey'. And _you_. I know you. You're her boyfriend, aren't you?" A quiet snort could be heard from within the hood. "Funny. I'd think a boyfriend would be more interested in protecting their girl instead of fighting her."

Irksome as this person was, Genos managed to maintain his composure and simply glared at them. They looked fairly weak; they were short, seemed to be quite thin with little muscle, and something about them gave off the impression that they were frail. "Grey. What do you-?"

Noriko took this opportunity to remove herself from Saitama's arms. Landing on her feet, she gritted her teeth against the pain running along the left side of her body. The scrapes were bleeding and stung intensely in the cold air, but she forced herself to push thoughts of comfort to the back of her mind. " _You_! I don't know who you are or what Kenta told you, but _he's_ the real monster here! How can you follow someone like him? How can you call him 'sensei'?!"

A smile formed on the lower half of their face. "Nya-san. Wow. You're talking to me right now. Really talking to me." Their body began to tremble violently and a pale hand left their pocket to move into their hood, presumably to run through their hair. "This is… _incredible_ right now. Really, it is. It's so…cool. To actually be talking to you. Seeing you like this. Hah? But I wish I'd dressed nicer. I probably look like a mess, don't I?"

Kenta scowled and glared down at the shorter figure before smacking them on the back with his clawed hand. "What are you doing?! You're really getting so worked up over that _abominable cow_ of mine?"

The catgirl had started to approach the figure to talk to them, but the way that they shook was alarming. _Is he laughing or crying? What's going on? Who is he really and why does he know who I am? He called me 'Nya'._ She felt her companions behind her, watching closely. The girl's tail twitched behind her and her feline ears drew back when she saw tears roll down the figure's cheeks and drip down the front of their hooded sweatshirt. "Ah…are you _crying_?"

"I-I just…talking to you…wow! It's just _incredible_! Nya-san. Seeing you in person…you're just…you're _beautiful_. I get it now. I get it, sensei. Why you loved her. But to call her an abomination…when she's just so _perfect_ …so _amazing_! Not even just her beauty, but when she was fighting!" Grey wrapped their arms around themselves and shook side to side. "You're _incredible_! I just…want to _have_ you! I want to hold onto you and…just _not let go_ …and just…hold you so tight that we melt together like wax…and become _one person_!"

Now it was Noriko's turn to start shaking. She took a few steps back, her green eyes going wide. "Wh-what?" The girl saw the figure begin to move toward her, a hand reaching out for Noriko, but they were intercepted by both Sonic and Genos.

"If you think that you will be allowed anywhere near Noriko after saying something so creepy, then you can think again. I refuse to let you touch my girlfriend," the blonde stated firmly, glaring at the hooded figure.

"I thought that Kenta was creepy, but you might be even creepier. You make him look like a normal gross otaku," Sonic said, starting to grin. "I came here for a fight. Noriko's paying me to help her kill Kenta. So let's make this quick so I can get my payment!" He unsheathed his katana and darted past the figure to approach the catman cyborg.

"Heh…heheheh! You think it'll be that easy? You think I'll let her slip away from me? Looking at her even closer…I just really want to _become one_!"


	93. Chapter 93

NeonHorizon: I suppose I should apologize for Grey. I'm not sure what you think of them so far, but Grey absolutely terrifies me. So if Grey frightens you, I apologize.

* * *

Noriko stared past Genos at the hooded figure as they trembled. Small sounds were escaping them now that sent chills down her spine. _He keeps saying that he wants to become one with me. Is he even human? If he's close with Kenta, he might be a monster or something. But his hand looked like a normal human hand when he pulled it out of his pocket._ Fighting back her fear, she took a step closer. "How do you know who I am?" she hesitantly asked.

"I am curious as well. What do you know about Noriko?" Genos spoke up. He was not about to let Noriko get too close to this new danger, but his curiosity was piqued. As long as they kept their distance, he would let them talk and remain unharmed.

"What do I know? How do I know?" Grey tilted their head and lifted a hand to their lips, snickering. "What don't I know? How don't I know? How could I _not_ know? She's _incredible_! She's a miraculous _work of art_! And _you_ …" They drew close to Genos, glaring up at him from the shadows of the hood. Though most of their face was still hidden, it was clearly a pair of light grey eyes that were directed at him. "Hah. You don't appreciate what you have, do you?"

Genos grabbed the front of their sweatshirt and lifted them, glowering down at them. "Just what are you saying? I appreciate everything about Noriko. She is my girlfriend."

"You appreciate _everything_? Really? And why? Because she was your _first_? Don't you know it's _unhealthy_ to cling to the girl that took your cherry?"

"You called Kenta vulgar earlier, but it is becoming clear that you are on the same level as him. Tell me why I should not annihilate you right now."

"Hey, Genos. Put him down; he looks like he's just a kid. I bet Kenta messed with him or something, too. What'd he do to you, kid?" Saitama came up beside Noriko with Mumen Rider appearing on his other side.

The cyclist looked the hooded figure up and down as Genos released them, letting them fall onto their rear on the ground. Past them, Sonic was now engaging Kenta in battle. Just watching the cyborg's movements, it was clear that he had received some sort of speed upgrade as well as weaponry. Looking from Kenta back to the figure on the ground, Mumen Rider slowly came to two conclusions. "You're the one that keeps building his new bodies, aren't you? And you're actually-"

"Hah! Heh…heheheh! _You three_! You don't even get it, do you? What Kenta-sensei has planned, what he's promised me; it's all too great to just let you wreck it! I'll have to give it everything I've got just to keep you guys from tearing my sensei apart and but it'll be worth it." Grey got to their feet and turned slightly to look at Noriko over the blonde cyborg's shoulder. "Nya-san. Can I call you 'Nya-senpai'? Hah. No. Too presumptuous, huh? No, too familiar. We're not that close. _Yet_. Let me just tell you, they'll never appreciate you the way that _I_ do. I can't tell you how fast my heart beat when I first saw a picture of you. You looked so scared, so _innocent_ , with your fresh modifications. The ears and tail were so new that the fur was still patchy. So _cute_ ~"

"How…how long have you… _known_ me?" Noriko forced herself to ask.

"Ah. Your voice. It's better than the videos. In person, it's just so… _sweet_. Gives me goose bumps, really. It makes me feel so _tingly_." They rubbed their thighs together and licked their lips, just barely visible in the shadows of the hood. "I really do just want to hold you, you know. I bet you're warm. I bet your skin would be so soft rubbing against mine."

"She isn't going anywhere with you. You're pretty creepy. I mean, what _are_ you?" The bald hero was now holding Noriko's shoulder, protective yet comforting.

"I'm human. For now. Kenta-sensei says I could become more though if I want. I could become _better_. I could become more worthy of Nya-san's affection. Maybe if I was a cyborg or some kind of terrifying super human with no hair, I could win your love, huh? Or an assassin?"

"Or a man." The words came from Mumen Rider and all eyes turned to him. He shivered when he felt Grey looking at him, feeling the venom in their stare.

 **Shift P.O.V**

Sonic was vaguely aware of what was going on behind him as he fought Kenta. The catman cyborg had definitely received some speed upgrades and the material of his newest body seemed to be made of something light yet durable. Though he was still able to dodge most of Kenta's attacks, there were a few cases where his razor sharp claws slashed open Sonic's shirt. The wounds were very light and bled a little, but he was easily able to ignore the pain.

"What are you even fighting me for?! What, you really love that _cow_ so much that you'll risk your life for her? She doesn't even love you! In case you didn't already know, she's in love with that blonde cyborg! Shouldn't _he_ be your target? Huhuhuh! Or were you hoping to get a good look at my pretty face? I got a new skin for my face! Go ahead and take a good look!" He rushed forward, swiping wildly at the ninja with both sets of claws.

Though the man's words irritated him, Sonic's gaze was drawn to his facial features. The last time they met, he had noted the ridiculous whisker-like tattoos across Kenta's cheeks and the deep crimson eyes that the man saw the world through. _His eyes look different. What is he-?_ Sonic dodged to the side quickly, alarmed when a sharp beam of light came from each of Kenta's eyes. One beam had grazed him, slicing open the side of his shirt and making his bleed. "Laser eye beams? Do you think you're an anime villain or something?" Sonic taunted him.

"Huhuhuh! I'm the hero here! Or was she so busy screwing you that she forgot to mention that I'm under the Hero Association's protection? I'm a potential hero! One of the best they'll ever see, when I take that stupid exam! I already have some connections in that association so just imagine how powerful I'll be once I'm a hero with a fan club!" When Sonic dodged his next attack, he scowled. "So how did she get you on her side anyway? Did she screw you into submission until you'd do whatever she wanted?"

"You think I'm some kind of weakling like you are?" Sonic lifted his katana to block a strike from Kenta's claws and leapt back, putting distance between the two of them.

"Don't act like you're so high and mighty! I know that you had your fun with her! Huhuhuh! I can't say I blame you; grotesque or not, she's still got that seductive quality she had when I first met her!"

Gritting his teeth, Sonic rushed him and drove his blade through his chest. Oil came spurting out when he pulled the katana free and Kenta's red eyes went wide. A clawed hand moved to cover the wound and it actually looked as though it pained him. "The next time a creepy thought like that pops into your head, you'd better reconsider before saying it out loud. And if you keep talking about her the way that you are, I might have to reconsider my decision to kill you. I might just incapacitate you and then let Noriko do what she wants for her revenge."

Kenta caught him glancing at the others and smirked. "You're checking out Grey, is that it? Sorry, but Grey only has eyes for that abomination of mine! Huhuhuh! It's so funny to see Grey get so worked up! I never thought I'd see Grey get all bashful like a little school girl over someone! Grey's always so quiet and calm! It's almost refreshing, almost _cute_ even, to see Grey get like this! Although I never thought she'd be Grey's type! Not that I never caught Grey looking at pictures of her or watching those old videos of her that I took; for _research_ of course!"

Sonic sidestepped to avoid a swipe of Kenta's free hand and raised an eyebrow. "What is Grey? Is he another one of your rat monster groupies?"

For an instant, Kenta's eyes grew wide and then he began to cackle uncontrollably. "Are you _serious_?!" He drew in very close to Sonic, the sides of his mouth drawing up into a frightening smile. "You _are_! You're being _serious_ right now! That's too funny! Too rich! The little assassin thinks Grey's one of my creations! And on top of that, you think that Grey's-!"

They both heard a shout of alarm, followed by a thud. Both looked over and saw the hooded figure looking down at Genos curiously. The blonde cyborg was lying on the ground, smoke coming from his chest. _Wait. What just happened? What did he do to that metal nuisance? Did he kill him?_ Sonic saw Saitama move toward the fallen metal body, a faint mix of worry and curiosity passing over his features. As he watched, Grey lifted their head and seemed to stare at the catgirl. "Noriko! Don't-!"

 **Shift P.O.V**

When she saw a bolt of electricity rush from the figure's hand, it sent chills down Noriko's spine. Genos took the impact directly in the chest and froze before falling to the ground, twitching slightly. _What just happened?! Is it because of what Genos said? But how did electricity come out of Grey's body like that? What is he?_ She took a few steps back, but the hooded figure took steps forward to her. "What…what did you do to my boyfriend?" she demanded, trying to sound braver than she felt.

"Hah. Your boyfriend? What do you need _him_ for? He can never appreciate you the way that I can, Nya-san!" Their voice was beginning to hold a note of desperation that made the catgirl visibly unsettled. "I know you better than any of them! I know what my sensei did to you and it's despicable, but if he hadn't then I'd never get to know you! I'll treat you like a queen though! I won't let Kenta-sensei lay a hand on you; I'll _protect_ you! I'll…I'll be your knight in shining armor! I'll cook for you every night and hold you as we fall asleep next to each other! I'll always… _always_ be here for you, Nya-san! So please just…just give me a chance, okay? And we'll both be so happy! I promise you! I promise that you'll be so happy with me that you'll forget all about these _boys_ and-!"

"Boys?" Noriko paused in her steps and glanced to her friends. Saitama was trying to get a response from Genos, but the cyborg was no longer moving. Mumen Rider saw her looking over and nodded once before moving toward Grey's back. "Did you kill Genos?" she asked, trying to distract the hooded figure.

"Kill? What? You think I'm a murderer, Nya-san? No, no, no! I'd _kill_ for you, but I wouldn't kill him without a _reason_! He'll live; he's just unconscious! I just…got mad. I don't like to get mad. It makes me into a _monster_." They bowed their head now and Noriko saw them bite their bottom lip for a moment. "I just want to hold you. I just want to kiss you. All I want is to let you know how I really feel. To show you how much you mean to me. But you won't even stand still. Just for a second. I can show you that I'm better." Tears spilled down their pale cheeks, dripping to the ground below as they took steps closer to her.

The catgirl stood perfectly still, wanting to keep Grey's attention on her long enough for Mumen Rider to act. "You sent out a bolt of electricity from your hand. Do you have a special device that lets you do that? Something you invented?" They were now standing directly in front of her, but the hood remained in place to keep their features hidden from her. Heart hammering, she knew that she had to keep Grey busy. Her friend was walking cautiously, planning as he moved. "You built Kenta's body, didn't you? So you must be really smart."

Grey tilted their head and their mouth curled up into a satisfied smile. "That's right. Technological genius, but hearing you call me smart makes me feel great." Arms went around her neck and the hood drew closer, warm breath blowing over her neck. "I-it's funny. Heheheh! I wanted this for a long time, actually. I never thought I'd really get this opportunity. That I'd ever get this close to you. I guess an electrokinetic shouldn't be so excitable, but it's great to see you." The chilled tip of their nose traced along Noriko's collarbone, followed by the sound of them inhaling deeply. Their body shuddered and moved a little closer to the catgirl's. Grey's fingers combed through her long violet hair, tenderly, and they sniffed at her skin again. "Ah~ You smell so good. You use lavender soap, don't you? He said you always smelled like lavender soap when he was around you, but to experience this myself…it's _heavenly_. I just want to drown in this aroma, Nya-san~"

Mumen Rider looked at Noriko over Grey's shoulder. He had one hand extended toward the hood and it soon became clear what his plan was. Yanking back the hood would undoubtedly startled Grey into turning around to see who had done it. In that moment, Noriko could get away from Grey and prepare to attack while Mumen Rider fought them. After seeing them shoot electricity out of their hand, it was clearly going to be a dangerous task. Forcing all shreds of fear to the back of his mind and out of his heart, the male hero gripped the grey material of the hood and yanked it back to reveal their face.

Noriko was not able to see their face immediately due to them leaning away from Mumen Rider's pull to press their pale lips against Noriko's. The kiss startled her and she moved to take a step back, but found her spine pushed against a solid building. Her green eyes were open wide and thus why she was alarmed when her gaze met a pale grey one. They blinked up at her, their mouth working passionately against hers and their arms still wrapped firmly around her neck.

Behind Grey, Mumen Rider seemed to have been stunned by their appearance. It was when their body pressed against Noriko's that she realized why. The hips that pushed against hers did not rub any sort of bulge between her legs. It might have been dismissed as them simply not being aroused, but when soft, modestly-sized breasts pressed against hers, Noriko realized what Grey truly was. The kiss was broken when the other girl seemed to take notice of her lack of a hood and pulled away.

Grey's cheeks turned red and she looked away, smiling coyly. Her long, pale grey hair had been let loose from her hood and now the wind blew through it. "Nya-san, I wasn't ready for you to see my face. Heheheh! I probably look like a mess, don't I? But maybe I'm a little glad this happened? I wanted you to see it eventually. So, what do you think? Can I be your knight in shining armor? Will you be mine~?" She leaned up to kiss the tip of Noriko's nose.

"Whoa. Hold on a minute. You're a girl?" Saitama was now holding Genos' unconscious body and approaching the three of them. "And you've got a crush on Nya-chan? How cute. But you know, I'm pretty sure she's not into girls. Sorry to disappoint you, Grey."

"You have _no idea_ what my feelings for her are! I can give her so much more than _you_ or that _metal bastard_ could ever give her! My love for Nya-san is so pure that she'll look past what I am! Yeah, I'm a girl! Who cares?! I love her as a _person_ and that's what matters!" She hugged Noriko harder, glaring over at the man as he came to stand nearby.

"Kyona, we're done here! I need repairs!" Kenta's voice seemed to shatter the girl's focus and the grey-haired girl turned her wrathful gaze upon him. "Stop playing with that cow and come help me! You still owe me, remember?!"

"Hah. Damn it. Duty calls." Grey turned back to Noriko and smirked. "I'll see you again real soon, Nya-san. Just think about what I can offer you, okay?"


	94. Chapter 94

"We need to talk." He had just returned from dropping off Genos, who was still unconscious, and walked into the apartment to find an odd assortment of people waiting for him. Noriko was sitting on the floor in her usual spot with Koneko holding onto her tightly and Mumen Rider sitting nearby. King was waiting for him near the television, holding a game controller, and raised an eyebrow when Saitama started speaking. "Uh…right. So I just need to talk to Nya-chan."

"Hn. Where do you expect these two to go?" The last thing she wanted to do was discuss what had happened when she went after Kenta. It had not only been a tremendous failure, but had also been moderately traumatic. Just thinking about it gave her goose bumps.

"Well, old lady Koto's back from doing whatever it was she was doing so Koneko could go back to the ranch for a while. And I really don't think anyone would believe Mumen Rider's a villain." Saitama glanced to the two and frowned slightly. "Oh, hey. Mumen Rider, why don't you go with Koneko? She can show you the ranch. I'm pretty sure old lady Koto won't turn you in or anything since the kid likes you so much."

Noriko's ears twitched back as Koneko ecstatically agreed to show her friend where she lived. King left at the same time, leaving her alone with her bald roommate. Her tail limply settled at her side and she grimaced. "Look, I really…don't want to talk about Grey right now."

"What? Oh, yeah. I almost forgot you got kissed by a girl. I meant everything else, but if you want to talk about-"

"I said I _don't_ want to talk about her!" she snapped, baring her fangs. "So…if _that's_ not what you wanted to discuss, then what is it?"

"First of all, why is Sonic hanging out on our roof?"

She slouched and anxiously bit at her thumbnail, shifting her bright green eyes away from his brown ones. "Hnnn. He said that our contract isn't up until Kenta's dead. Or until I've paid him for helping as much as he did."

"Oh. Okay, so just pay him." He was almost relieved that it seemed to be such an easy fix. After all, what he really wanted was to just be alone with her for a while. Even with a roof and a few floors separating them, he still did not like the idea of Sonic being there. It was when her cheeks turned red that he started to realize what the problem was. "Nya-chan, how were you going to pay him?" he hesitantly asked.

"I don't want to talk about it." She sighed in frustration, still unable to look him in the eye. _We've only been back in City Z for a few hours. Genos had to be taken to Doctor Kuseno because we couldn't wake him up. He got hurt because of me! I should have stopped Grey from hurting him! I shouldn't have let her get so close to him!_

"Never mind. I don't think I want to know. Alright, so why did you fake your death like that? We thought you were dead. I didn't know what to tell Koneko." He was about to say that she had no idea how it felt to think she had lost someone, but remembered her family's horrific fate. "Look, I just…don't want to think about what it'd be like if we really lost you. Don't do that again, okay?"

She glanced over when she felt his warm fingers rub behind her nicked ear. _Damn it. He always does this. He always manages to make me feel better…_ Noriko rubbed her cheek against his hand and winced. Pain rushed through the side of her face as she remembered that she was injured. "I didn't fake my death though. Sonic wanted to put my collar somewhere that we wouldn't go so that Genos couldn't track me. I didn't think he was going to do something like that."

"Just stop hanging out with him." Saitama's words came out a little harsher than he meant for them to and he saw her wince, instantly mistaking it for her reaction to his words. "Ah. Sorry, Nya-chan. I mean, I just don't like the way he looks at you, okay? It's creepy. And why does he have to stay on our roof? Is he going to keep stalking you until you pay him?"

"Hn. Hard to say. So did the doctor say if Genos would be okay?"

"Oh. Yeah, he said that he should be alright. Grey didn't do any real damage; she just knocked him out. I still can't believe she did that. He's not going to be happy when he wakes up. He'll probably want to get revenge and I'm pretty sure he doesn't know she's a girl." Saitama scratched the back of his neck and raised an eyebrow. "Hey. Didn't it kind of seem like she'd been watching you? Like since Kenta took you from your house?"

"Y-yeah. She said something like that." Noriko nervously toyed with the end of her tail, her stomach twisting in knots. _She said a lot of things. Everything about her made me nervous. Like an animal instinct. Like something wasn't right about her. It wasn't even about her liking me; it was just the way she spoke, the way that she kept…fidgeting? It just left me feeling scared for some reason._ Shaking her head, she tried to shift her thoughts to something else. "Er…so we're all villains now, aren't we?"

"Huh? Oh. Right. We were supposed to get some evidence that Kenta's evil, huh? Kind of slipped my mind when that thing happened to Genos. We'll just have to try again. Shouldn't be too hard if you have Grey on your side though, right?"

She watched him stand and quickly looked away as he changed out of his hero outfit. Her stomach growled as she remembered that it had been some time since she last ate. Thinking about food made her think about the times when she would cook and Genos would stand beside her. The girl's feline ears drooped at this thought and guilt made her stomach begin to hurt again. _If I hadn't been so afraid of Grey, I could have protected Genos. I just froze up though. Mumen Rider could have been hurt, too. What if Grey killed him? Since he's just a normal person, a bolt of her electricity might've killed him._ Noriko's chin was lifted by a warm hand and her eyes met curious brown ones. "Saitama, what-?" She was cut off by his mouth pressing against hers.

When he pulled away, he saw her face turning bright pink. The man smiled and tilted his head. "What? Let's go get some food. We'll get a call when Genos is awake and we can go pick him up. Sound good?" Seeing the worried look still set on her face, he let his smile turn almost sheepish. "Or we can just stay here and do something else."

"Hn…I'm hungry so…" Noriko dug around in her bag, frowning. "Just give me a second. I need to change."

"Yeah, I was going to ask why you were still wearing Sonic's clothes."

 **Shift P.O.V**

"I still want her. Why wouldn't I? She's _incredible_." Kyona leaned back in her chair, smirking at the monitors before her. The room was dark besides the light coming from the screens, but the darkness suited the girl. She much preferred her lab to the outside world.

"Huhuhuh! Little Kyona still wants to play with that abominable cow!" Kenta's laughter echoed through the lab, followed by an undignified snort.

She looked at him over her shoulder and smirked. Turning the chair, she stood and approached the side of the examining table. Kenta's mechanical body was strapped down, tubes connected to the head to keep his brain stable as the repairs were made to the rest of him. "Hah. That ninja really did a number on you, didn't he, sensei? I hear he's a top assassin in the underworld. What do you think? Another speed upgrade in order?"

"What do you think?" His brow creased and he flexed his fingers, watching the claws extend. "I need new weapons, too. He has something like exploding shuriken. I'll need something to combat that."

Kyona crossed her arms, staring down at his prone mechanical body. "I wonder what an upgrade like _that_ would be worth."

"Didn't I already say that I'd beat that cow into submission and give her to you?" he demanded, glaring up at the girl.

"You _did_ say that. Funny. I'm pretty sure I want her in one piece. Easier to cuddle with someone when they aren't broken into segmented body parts, sensei."

"Fine! You want her _unharmed_ , is that it? I'll just stun her and-!"

"I don't want her hurt in _any way_ , sensei." Her pale grey eyes widened and she looked him up and down. She pushed a stray lock of grey hair behind her ear as a terrifying smirk developed on her face. "Yeah. But you know, I'm pretty sure I want her to _love_ me."

"Look, you little brat, just finish my repairs and I'll bring her to you!"

"I want _her_ to love _me_ as much as _I_ love _her_. What can you do for that, sensei?" Kyona leaned down, gripping the tops of his strapped down wrists. Electricity danced along her arms, wavering and fading just before reaching her hands. She saw the panic in his features and it made her smirk grow. "Yeah. Love. Like I want to court her. I want to cuddle with my Nya-san and go on dates. I want to hear her say that she loves me." The electricity on her arms lit up her face in an unsettling way. "She's so _great_ , Kenta-sensei! I love her…so much that it _hurts_! Do you know what it feels like?!"

The electricity entered his body and it tensed for a moment before thrashing. His mechanical limbs spasmed, his head banging against the table's surface and his jaw locking in place. He felt pain. She had made sure that the body he inhabited was always able to feel pain or pleasure as a method of self-preservation. Too much pain would alert him to imminent death, as with any living thing. Now, however, it seemed that she was taking great pleasure in watching him thrash. When the electrical current was halted, he knew that she had been interrupted by the only person other than Noriko that could draw her attention away. "Kyou."

The boy was gripping Kyona's wrists from behind, his icy hold shocking her into a frozen silence. Pale grey eyes looked to Kenta's red ones and he scowled. "What happened while I was gone? I leave for a day and you get a hole in your chest? If you want to be a hero, you should be tougher than that, sensei."

"That abomination of mine came after me today with her little groupies!" Kenta snapped at him, leaning up as much as the straps would allow. "Your sister just let the assassin stab me through the chest while she made out with my creation!"

Kyou raised an eyebrow at this and released his sister's arms. A final pulse of electricity ran through Kenta's body before Kyona pulled away to glare at her brother. The two were twins, similar in looks on almost every level except for height. The girl had to tilt her head back a little to glare up at her brother, while he stared down at her with a small smirk. "You made out with her? That's farther than I got when I ran into her."

"Hah! You think you could call that 'running into her'? You stalked her into that store! And if you were half as in love with her as I am, you wouldn't have let her stupid boyfriend get in your way!" she growled.

"What? So you did something?" he challenged.

"Of course I did, you idiot! I remembered what you said, about getting swatted away from her by her boyfriend in that convenience store! I knocked him unconscious the second I got close enough and stole a kiss from her. I did not 'make out' with her. Nya-san is too dignified for something so perverted!" Kyona stood in the now silent lab, her cheeks burning in embarrassment. "She's just…so _perfect_. So _beautiful_. I just want to hold her close to me and never let go." She wrapped her arms around herself and let electricity run through her body, delighting in its warm and reassuring presence in her veins. "I want to see her again. I _have_ to see her again, sensei."

The catman cyborg and Kyou both stared at her, a little unsettled by the desperation in her voice. Finally, her twin crossed his arms and half-grinned. "Wow. I've never seen you so head over heels for _anyone_ before. You think she'd be able to keep up with you? You can be pretty sadistic."

"I would never hurt her. I would never let _anyone_ hurt my girl. You should know that, Kyou-nii." There was anger in her voice now as she took a step toward him.

"I know, I know." He quickly put his hands up in defense, unnerved when he saw sparks dancing along her fingertips. "You want to see her again? Fine. You know the city where she lives. I told you the store she usually goes to. You can meet her there. _After_ sensei's entry into the Hero Association. I spoke with someone today and they said he can take the test the day after tomorrow. How's that sound, Kenta-sensei? You'll get your fan club and all the recognition you deserve! People will finally understand your greatness!"

 **Shift P.O.V**

The first thing he saw when consciousness returned to him was the face of his doctor. The last thing that he had seen before the electrical bolt hit him was a pair of pale eyes glaring at him from within a shadowy hood. Genos continued to stare at his doctor as the man asked him questions, trying to silently puzzle through how he had arrived at the lab. "Doctor Kuseno, how did I get here? Is Noriko here? Is Noriko alright? We were in a fight with a catperson cyborg and a boy that shot me with electricity. I need to know if Noriko is alright."

The man blinked in surprise and smiled. "Yes, I think Saitama said that she's okay. I ran some tests to see if your body was damaged by the electrical pulse. Do you feel alright? Can you move everything without issue?"

"That does not matter. I need to get back to Noriko." He found that his ability to move had not been hindered by the electrical current from Grey and was glad. It made it that much easier to get out of the lab, after a quick apology to his doctor, and make his way back to the apartment. His mouth turned down at the corners as he recalled something important that Saitama had said to Koneko, just the day before. _He said that he loves Moriyama Hinako. That is Noriko. But how can that be? Did he mean that he loves her as a friend? He helped her when she was in her heat cycle, but it was just his way of easing her discomfort. It had to be. Master Saitama would have told me if he was in love with her._

More memories rushed to him as he ran. Memories of every time Saitama would sit with Noriko and pet behind her ears, every time that he found them both sleeping in his master's futon, every time his master's gaze lingered on the girl. Now the blonde came to a conclusion, which ultimately led him to a dilemma. _If Master Saitama is in love with Noriko, what should I do?_ He paused in his steps when he reached the ghost town part of City Z and looked in the direction of the apartment building to find a silhouette perched on the edge of the roof.

Sonic stared back at him and grinned before disappearing. The man reappeared in front of him, wearing a smug expression. "If you're looking for _her_ , she went somewhere with Saitama. No, I'm not leaving until I get my payment from her. And no, I don't know where they went and I don't care. I'm not worried about her actually falling for him."


	95. Chapter 95

NeonHorizon: Hn. So I guess maybe you're wondering what's going on with the excessive amount of chapters, right? I actually never thought I'd get this far. Sad, right? Well, inspiration keeps coming and I've still got a lot of ideas for this story. So here's what to expect. After chapter 100, I'll release a sequel. I don't really know what I'll call it yet, but I'll let you know after chapter 100. I guess now would be an okay time to also say that I appreciate you readers. All of you. You've all been really cool. You're just...neat people, you know? I've been having a rough time lately emotionally and when I see your nice reviews, or even just that you're still reading, it really helps me get through the stuff I'm dealing with. So thank you. And I appreciate you.

* * *

 _I don't like this._ Noriko was sitting next to Saitama at the table, passively watching an episode of an anime that she had already seen. A certain sense of normality had set in over the past few days; the three went about their normal activities, but without fighting monsters or villains. It should have been a relaxing time for Noriko to mentally prepare for the next time she pursued Kenta, but instead she found it stressful. _Genos keeps looking over. Like he thinks we're doing something behind his back and he expects to catch us._ Her tail quietly lifted and thumped against the floor, her left ear twitching at the sound of his approaching footsteps.

"Master Saitama, I brought the mail," the blonde announced as he set the box on the table. He turned slightly to look at Noriko, seeming to expect a reaction from her. Instead, he found her yawning and inadvertently flashing her fangs. "I am not sure why the Hero Association is continuing to send us our mail. Do you think that someone found something to prove that Kenta is evil?"

The bald hero shrugged and rummaged in the box for his stack of envelopes. It was small, but still satisfying to see that people cared enough to write to him. "Maybe. Who would it be though? It couldn't have been Mumen Rider; he was with us the whole time and then he went to stay at old lady Koto's with Koneko."

Noriko moved to grab her mail, but was beaten to it by Genos. He settled behind her at the table and dragged her onto his lap. One arm wrapped around her waist almost possessively as he started going through her mail. Her ears drew back and a low growl formed at the back of her throat, but it went ignored by the cyborg. "Hn. So anything interesting?"

"I was doing some research last night and discovered that there is an administrator in the Hero Association with the surname Grey. He has two children, Kyou and Kyona, but neither are classified as heroes. Incidentally, they do not seem to be classified as villains either. I was able to find limited information on the son, but nothing on the daughter other than her name. I believe that it was Kyou that attacked us when we confronted Kenta."

"Ah…actually…" Noriko blinked up at him in surprise when his metal hand cupped her chin, tilting her face back so that their eyes met. Blood rushed to her cheeks, making them feel hot, while her pulse grew quick. "Genos?"

"Is there something that you are hiding from me, Noriko?" There was no anger in the words, but he could still feel her starting to shake a little. Her face was turning redder as she stared up at him, one fang biting into her lower lip. "Noriko?"

"You got knocked out by the girl. Didn't Kenta call her Kyona?" Saitama spoke up.

"The girl? But their voice sounded-"

"I mean, yeah, her voice was a little low for a girl. But when I think about it, she didn't really sound like a guy, either." The man smiled sheepishly before turning his gaze back to the television screen. "Did she kiss like a guy, Nya-chan?"

"I said I didn't want to talk about that!" she snarled, trying to break away from Genos to glare at their roommate. Noriko felt the arm around her waist tighten and soon gave up on trying to escape. Keeping her bright green eyes focused on something else, she slouched back against the blonde's chest. "Just…I mean, you don't want to know, right? It was just a stupid, embarrassing thing that doesn't even matter so let's just move on, okay?!"

He stared down at her and the corner of his mouth slowly lifted. "You kissed a girl?"

"I didn't-! Hn. _I_ didn't kiss _her_! _She_ kissed _me_!" the catgirl protested. "Can you just finish going through the mail? There might be something from the Hero Association."

Genos continued to stare for a moment before leaning down closer to her face. "Did you like the way that she kissed you? Was it better than when I kiss you?" he inquired. Not waiting for an answer, he closed the distance and pressed his lips to hers. Beneath his metal fingertips, he could feel her pulse racing and it brought him a small sense of satisfaction. Since realizing how Saitama felt about her, he had been waiting for an opportunity to reclaim her attention. Though he was still unsure of how he should feel about his mentor being in love with her, he did know how he actually felt. Jealousy surged each time he saw Saitama do anything even vaguely romantic with her and at the same time he felt guilty in wishing that his mentor's happiness would be taken away.

She grimaced and pulled up the hood on her jacket when he released her, trying to hide her blush. _Damn it. Did he have to do that in front of Saitama? I know he was watching us._ Her tail whipped back and forth in agitation as she sighed. A glance over showed their roommate smiling in that strange, almost vacant way that he usually did. Noriko jumped a little when the sound of ripping paper came to a halt and a stack of envelopes dropped into her lap. "Thanks."

"These are the ones that will offend you the least," he stated simply. Moving carefully, he slid out from beneath Noriko and carried a larger stack of envelopes away to burn them.

Watching her boyfriend set the paper ablaze, she began to frown. _I wonder how many death threats I got now that I'm classified as a monster. I'm surprised there's nothing from the Hero Association. Wait. Oh._ Her feline ears drew back, her tail twitching at the tip. Lifting the pale envelope in her hands, she stared at the light pink lipstick print on the back above the once-sealed edge. _This…is from her, isn't it? But I could almost see Puri Puri Prisoner sending me a death threat in this form, too._

"Whoa. What's that? Is that a love letter from your fan girl?" Saitama asked, suddenly right beside her. "I want to read it."

"Wh-what?! No way! Look, I don't think _I_ even want to read it, Saitama!" She tried her best to keep it out of his reach and went so far as to push the envelope into her sweatshirt. The fur on her tail puffed up in alarm when his hand went up the front of her t-shirt beneath it. Warm fingertips skimmed over her skin and a yelp escaped Noriko's lips. "S-Saitama, seriously!"

"What? Where is it? Wait. Oh!" His free hand slid past the hem of her sweatshirt, staying over the t-shirt, and quickly grabbed the envelope. At the same time, his other hand squeezed her breast gently, making her freeze in place. "Found it! I'll give it back when I'm done, Nya-chan."

The catgirl was blushing pink when he returned to his seat, holding the letter and smiling in amusement at the nervous way she toyed with the end of her tail. "Why can't we just burn it like the other ones? It probably doesn't say much anyway; Genos would have destroyed it if it said anything like what you're thinking."

"Huh? What do you think I think is in it? I don't think a girl would write _smut_ , if that's what you're thinking. I just think it's cute that she's got a crush on you." He opened the envelope, his excitement building. "So let's see what cute stuff she has to say. It has to be better than when Sonic wrote you that death threat."

"How long is that pervert going to be living on our roof? Do you want me to get rid of him, Master Saitama?" Genos peered out at them from the kitchen, his gold and black eyes unreadable. "I am more than willing to drive him away if you want me to."

"He made a contract with Nya-chan and she said he won't leave until Kenta's dead or until she pays him. Which isn't going to happen. He'll get bored eventually and go home; I wouldn't worry about it too much."

Genos looked from Saitama to Noriko, who was now standing and running her fingers through her hair. "If that is all that it will take to make him leave, why not pay him?" He saw her quickly look away and frowned. "If you cannot afford it, I can pay him to make him leave you alone, Noriko." Now he saw her trembling and mistook it for her trying not to cry. "It is not a problem for me to pay him, if it means making him leave you alone."

"I just…can't even…" she muttered, quickly covering her mouth to smother a laugh.

"Uh, Genos? Sonic doesn't want her to pay him with _money_ ," Saitama explained. He met the cyborg's stare until realization came across the younger man's features. Instantly, it turned to anger and then embarrassment. "I thought you would've figured that out. I mean, you've seen the way that he looks at her. And you've heard what he says about her."

Noriko finally allowed herself to snicker quietly as the blonde vanished into the bathroom. _Alright, I've had enough of being stuck in here like this. The Hero Association hasn't sent anyone after me since Puri Puri Prisoner and it's been a few days. I'm probably safe for now._ She glanced toward Saitama, who was reading the letter in silence. "Hn. I'm going for a walk. Need anything from the store?"

"Can you get something for dinner? I don't know how long he's going to hide in there."

She almost snorted at the thought of Genos hiding in the bathroom in shame. "Sure." As she closed the apartment door behind her, the catgirl's ears twitched at the sound of movement. _I wanted to go visit Koneko, but I guess maybe I was putting too much hope in him being busy with something else._ Noriko walked toward the end of the hall, her tail shifting side to side curiously. When she reached the end, she leaned out over the rail to look up and down in search of him. Though he was nowhere to be seen, Noriko knew that this did not mean that he had gone somewhere else.

Summoning forth all of her strength and courage, the catgirl leapt over the rail to land on the sidewalk below. Her feline reflexes and balance allowed her to safely land on her feet and soon she was sprinting down the street. Goose bumps rose on her arms beneath her sweatshirt as she felt an intense gaze directed at her. _I have to focus! I can't let him scare me like this! If I focus, I can at least have a chance at getting away, right?_ Noriko had reached the other side of the ghost town when she heard his voice above her.

"You think you can keep avoiding me, Noriko?! Let's see you avoid my Exploding Shuriken!" Sonic watched her hurry to leap out of the path of the weapons and made his move.

She had managed to escape the worst of the explosion with a few minor scratches, but soon found her arm being grabbed and her body slamming into the side of a building. Glaring up at him through her hair, she bared her fangs in fury. "If you don't like me avoiding you, would you prefer it if I rip your throat out?!" she snarled.

He grinned down at her, grey eyes alight with glee. "I'd like to see you try it. Even if you were serious, I don't think you hurt me."

"Maybe if I close my eyes, I can." Noriko lifted a hand with every intention to strike at his face, but he caught her wrist in his hand and pinned it over her head against the wall. Her green eyes narrowed upon him, color rushing to her cheeks when his grin grew. _Why does he have to look at me like that?! Like he's won somehow!_

Leaning down to her face, his lower half pressed against hers and her cheeks went from pink to red. "You still think that you could hurt me? It kind of looks like you want to do _something else_ to me," he taunted.

"Sh-shut up! Look…you can't keep hanging around our building. So just go home."

"I'm not going home without you." Sonic was a little surprised when she leaned up, teeth scraping over his neck. He caught her other hand just in time to stop her from scratching the side of his face and moved it above her head, now holding both her wrists in one hand. "We still have a contract, remember?"

"Hn. So if I pay you, you'll leave?" Her voice came out in a growl, her face turned to the side to avoid his eyes. _If I'm alone with him for too long, I know that something will happen. Something bad. It was fine when we had a goal and were going to kill Kenta, but now we're both losing focus again._ She felt his warm breath on her feline ear and withheld a yowl.

"Didn't we have negotiable terms? I think we should change our contract. I think you need protection from Grey now."

"I don't need someone else to protect me! I can do it myself so just-! _Hnyah_ ~" Her face felt like it was burning with the blush that took over her cheeks. His free hand had pushed between her and the wall to caress her lower back, just above her tail. Shifting her hips side to side, she frowned and did her best not to make another embarrassing sound.

"I think you do. Actually, I _insist_. I'll be your bodyguard and you can pay me however I decide I want to be paid. I don't think you're in any position to try bargaining right now."

Her heart skipped a beat when his hand left her back to lift her chin. After just a few seconds of looking into his grey eyes, she felt her stomach twist into knots. Her eyes darted away from his and she tried to maintain a scowl of displeasure. "What do you know anyway?"

"I know that you can't resist me," he started, leaning down to nip at her feline ear. "I can't resist you so why should it be different the other way around? Maybe I should just take you. If they let you finally leave by yourself, it must mean that they aren't worried about you. I could take you right now and they wouldn't even notice, would they?"

"Stop saying it like that," she muttered, hips shifting again. Sonic pushed her harder against the building, grinding into her lower half and making her bite her lip. _It's so damn embarrassing! How does this always happen?! It's like…ugh! It's almost like we're…perfect for each other. But that can't be right! That can't possibly be right!_

He saw her struggling internally and it only made his grin spread. It was clear that she wanted to give in to him, but was she was still fighting. Not that he minded; the longer the process, the better the reward. "Don't word it like _what_? Like I'm going to pin you against this wall and screw you in broad daylight where your friends might see? I wasn't even considering that, but now you're putting ideas in my head, Noriko. I wonder how Saitama would react if he saw his girlfriend in that kind of position."

"Are you trying to scare me?" the girl asked in a low tone. "Because if I remember right, he _did_ catch us in a position kind of like that before. And you pulled you off of me, held me in his arms, and said that he loved me. So…I think I can guess what would happen if you tried something like that again."

The ninja pulled away, his grin falling to a frown. "So why did you leave today? Are you bored?" He saw her nod ever so slightly and his look of amusement quickly returned. Lifting her chin again, he made her look at him. "If you're bored, I know something fun that we can do. Even if you haven't heard from your little Hero Association, you're still not being paid, right? We should go on a job together to blow off some steam."

The catgirl smirked up at him. "You have steam to blow off?" she taunted.

"Watching you spend all of your time with dumb heroes will build up steam," he replied, his tone one of pure irritation. "Are we going to do this or not? Just remember that I don't set these jobs up for free."


	96. Chapter 96

_I wonder if things can ever go back to normal at this point._ Noriko sighed for the fifth time since separating from Sonic and ran her fingers through her hair. She winced at a sharp pain in her scalp, reminding her of the damage she had taken during their fight. It had started as an assassination and quickly escalated to an all-out battle against a crime family's top fighters. _It's so stupid. People pay other people to kill the people they dislike. It doesn't even take that much. Someone wanted the head of that crime family dead because they flirted with some woman. I just don't understand. Was the world always this messed up and I just never saw it before?_

The catgirl thought back to the fight and began to smirk. Despite the damage she had taken, she had done a decent job of defending herself against their opponents. They challenged her abilities, but not to the degree that she had to fear for her life. In a twisted sort of way, Noriko knew that she had enjoyed herself. Her tail curled at the end, ears perked forward, as her eyes were drawn to a manga on the shelf. Skimming through it revealed that it was an action manga. _Huh. Nice artwork though._ Rummaging in her pocket, she located the money that had served as her payment. It was much more than the previous jobs had paid.

The convenience store clerk watched the smirk grow on her face and raised an eyebrow, wondering what she found so amusing and also wondering if he should approach her. The thought of walking up to the girl made his stomach twist in anxiety. He had seen her walk in and he knew about the recent development regarding her hero status. Though this was not why he was nervous to approach the catgirl. No, that came from her appearance. Her long violet hair was a tangled mess, yet somehow still attractive, and her clothes were torn here and there. The girl's left cheek had a scrape on it that looked rather painful. It was clear that she had been up to something interesting before going to the store, but he was still cautious to ask.

When she saw the clerk approaching from the corner of her eye, she felt her ears subconsciously draw back. "Oh. Sorry. I'll be quick."

"It's not that. I just-" He paused and awkwardly rubbed the back of his head.

"Right. I know. It's about what the Hero Association announced, right? C-can I just get this food and I'll leave? I mean, I don't want to cause trouble for the store and-"

The young man looked surprised for a moment and then chuckled. "What? No, it's nothing like that! I mean, have you _seen_ the other customers? We're located in the worst part of City Z! Half our customers are _criminals_! I was actually going to ask if you're doing okay. You just look a little…out of it? Kind of rough?" Sighing, he gave up on trying to be subtle. "You look like you were tossed into a tornado full of knives. Are they sending some pretty vicious heroes after you?"

Noriko tilted her head. "Ah…I mean, only one hero actually tried to stop me. But that wasn't because the association sent him. You've heard of Puri Puri Prisoner?" She saw him half-grin and snickered. "Yeah. He came after me because I was with a guy he has a crush on."

"Wow. Yeah, that sounds pretty bad. But they haven't sent anyone after you?"

"Not yet. I probably shouldn't even be outside, just in case, but I had to do something."

"Moonlighting? Wait. Don't tell me. You don't pose for figurine designs, right?" Seeing her laugh and smile made his cheeks heat up. "So you're still dating that cyborg hero Genos?"

"Yeah. I'm just surprised he's still with me after everything that's happened." Her voice had taken on a sad sort of tone. _A lot has happened since we started dating. I still remember the day that we started. It was because Saitama thought it would be a good idea. I didn't really think much of it, but things have gotten serious now. Coming here was supposed to be temporary._

He saw the sadness in her eyes and carefully put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, if you ever need work, you can work a shift here at the convenience store. Like I said, no one cares if you're wanted by the Hero Association so it'd be pretty safe. Just…you know that ninja that sometimes follows you around the store? Don't let him kill any more of our customers, okay?"

"Hn. Can't make any promises, but I'll try to keep him in line." The young man snorted and Noriko could not help but grin. "I should probably go home soon so I think this is all I'm getting today."

"What? You don't want a copy of the Hero Gossip magazine with your face on the cover?" he teased as he went behind the counter.

"Not really something I need in my life," she replied with a laugh. Noriko was putting her money on the counter when she saw his eyes widen, his gaze on something outside of the store. "Uh…is something wrong?"

"Er…do you _know_ that person?" he asked, nodding toward the door.

Both of them turned to fully look at the strange spectacle and Noriko felt her blood run cold in her veins. A pale face and hands were pressed against the glass, light grey eyes staring in at the two with a building fury. The girl outside was wearing a pair of baggy black pants and a black t-shirt over a long sleeved shirt that had the words "Catgirl Love" scrawled on it in white ink. _What is she doing here?! Was she following me? How did she find me?_ Panic made Noriko's heart race as the lights began to flicker in the store. "Just…just don't look at her."

"Do I need to call someone? Is she stalking you? What's with that shirt? Shit! She's coming in! Seriously, should I call Mumen Rider or-?"

" _Found you~_ " Grey wrapped her arms around Noriko from behind, resting her chin on the girl's shoulder. "I was looking _everywhere_ for you. Aaaah, it feels so _good_ to hold you like this. You have no idea how _addictive_ it can get. I thought it would just be like holding a normal person, but you're so soft and warm! It's indescribably amazing!"

Noriko tensed, feeling Grey's cheek rub against hers almost sensually. Color rushed to her face as she felt the girl's chest push against her back and when she met the clerk's gaze she was almost thankful that he looked just as uncomfortable as she felt. "Ah….G-Grey-san? What are you doing in City Z?"

"Hah. You're so modest, on top of everything else. I had to see you! I just _had_ to! I didn't think it'd get worse if I saw you in person, but it's like I couldn't even think straight after you left! And…heheheh! You know what I did to Kenta-sensei for you? I sent a big rush of electricity through his body and made him go all stiff like a board! You should've seen how much he drooled when his jaw finally unlocked! It was all for _you_ though, Nya-san! Just a little revenge for what he made you go through!"

"Um…here's your change," the clerk spoke up, sliding it carefully across the counter.

"Ah? You're the boy I saw talking to _my_ Nya-san in such a friendly way just a few minutes ago! So? What? You _like_ her? You want to _screw_ her? You want to do _horrible things_ to my Nya-san?!"

"H-he's gay! Right? You were just saying that, weren't you?" Noriko gave him a look that easily conveyed her worry for his safety.

"Y-yep. I like guys. There's this guy that I like and I was telling her about him. Yep."

"Hah. Good. I couldn't handle any more competition, you know. I mean, it's hard enough. I know you like guys, Nya-san, but I'll show you that I'm just as good! No! I'm _better_ than any guy! I'll show you! So just give me a chance, okay?!" She turned Noriko to look into her green eyes and she grinned. "Wow! Just incredible to be so close to you! To see the shimmer of your eyes! They're like _emeralds_! Oh? Oh no! Nya-san, your poor face! And your clothes! What happened to you? Did that mechanical bastard hurt you?!"

"N-no! He didn't do anything! I was just…my part-time job…it's difficult." Noriko could feel the fear emanating from the clerk now and quickly pocketed her change. "Grey-san, I need to get home, alright? I need to take this food home and-"

"Oh! Oh, you're right! It's for your daughter, isn't? Your little Koneko? She's such a _cutie_! A spitting image of _you_ when you were a kid, Nya-san! And she's so _powerful_! Ah! Not as powerful as _you_ , of course! You have such a well of untapped potential, too! If you were to ever _really_ unleash your strength, you'd decimate anyone in your path!"

 _Why are you building me up like this? Is that really how you see me?_ The catgirl walked outside and rubbed the back of her head. "Er…no. She's staying with a friend right now. But Genos and Saitama are waiting for me. Is Kenta in City Z, too?"

"What? No, of course not! I'd never put you in danger like that! Not _you_! Not my beautiful Nya-san!" Grey hugged her tightly, planting a kiss on her cheek. "I know! Skip eating with them and have dinner with me! It'd be the _best date_ I can imagine! I can ask you more about yourself and-! Well, not that I don't know a lot already! I did watch your whole transformation from Hinako to Nya! It hurt so much to see you in pain though! I just wanted to _slaughter_ that bastard for hurting you, but my brother was following his research for our company!"

Noriko's pulse quickened as goose bumps rose on her skin. _You were watching the whole thing?! Why didn't you or your brother do something to help me? Why didn't you call the police or something? I was suffering for years and you two were just watching me like I was some kind of morbid reality show on television?!_ She easily slid from Grey's hold and took a few steps away. "Hn. It's Kyona, right?"

"Grey Kyona. But I prefer Grey. Kyona sounds too _girly_."

"Grey-san then. I really need to get home. I'm sorry. Maybe another time."

The girl's long grey hair blew in the wind and she beamed, one eye beginning to twitch subtly. "Awww! Why _not_? What can _they_ really do for you? What if they don't even really _love_ you? They haven't known you as long as _I_ have! I know all of your likes, your dislikes, your hopes and fears! I know everything about you, Nya-san! _Everything_! I know that your first time was with that assassin Speed o' Sound Sonic. I know that your first kiss after Kenta-sensei was with Genos. I know that you rescued a girl from being subjected to the same horrors as you. I know that another girl walked into the same fate and you put her out of her misery. Yaya. The things she said about you made me sick when she first arrived, but by the end she was in so much pain that I couldn't be mad. Not anymore."

The fact that Grey said all of this with a smile on her face made the catgirl tremble with uneasy. "I need to go home. I'm sorry, Grey-san. You should go, too. It's starting to get dark."

"You don't have to worry about _me_ , Nya-san." She lifted a hand and electricity danced over her palm and fingers. "I don't mind the dark anyway; it makes everything so much more fun. Don't you think? Just the two of us, playing in the dark. Doesn't that sound like _fun_?"

Noriko took a step back and bumped into a hard metal chest. She was relieved when Genos put an arm around her, but feared what might happen to him. _The last time she saw him, she shocked him and knocked him unconscious. Did his doctor make some adjustments so that won't happen again or…?_ The catgirl yelped quietly when she was lifted over his shoulder, now facing away from the electrokinetic girl.

"What do you think you're doing, you metal piece of shit?! We were having a conversation just now; just her and me. Put her down before I _make_ you put her down." Grey's voice had taken on a dangerous tone, growing a bit lower as she glowered up at him.

Genos, not about to take orders from a girl that had to tilt her head back to be able to even look into his eyes, maintained a straight face as he stepped toward her. "I do not appreciate you, or anyone, trying to take Noriko from me. I will not lose to someone like you."

"Hah! Someone like _me_ , huh? What are you trying to say? You think that just because I'm a _girl_ , that automatically means that you have an advantage in this? If I can just show her how much I love her, I know she'll pick me over you! _You're_ not even _human_!"

"Don't talk to him like that!" Noriko growled, twisting to look at Grey. Her hands braced against the cyborg's metal back, feeling it emanate heat in a pleasant and reassuring sort of way. The other girl's face conveyed a deep disappointment for a moment before she grinned in amusement. "I'm _serious_! I won't let you talk to my boyfriend that way!"

"Noriko, do not talk to her. You will only encourage her."

"No! Look, you and Saitama are always protecting me. When you got hurt last time, I just froze up and didn't know what to do. Because of me, you got knocked unconscious. Let me down, Genos! I'm not letting her get away with talking to you like that!" She struggled out of his hold and dropped to the ground. Shoving the bag of groceries into his arms, Noriko faced Grey. "I don't know what you're thinking. When you like someone, you don't insult their boyfriend like some kind of _coward_. You tell them how you feel and if they don't feel the same way then you _move on_! That's just how it is!"

"Heheheh! I just… _love_ …hearing you talk about love, Nya-san! I could listen to your voice all day! I really could! I just _love_ it! The sound of your voice makes me just want…to do such… _lovely_ things to you!" Grey giggled and leapt back when Noriko attacked with both swords. She moved quickly to avoid the swipes of the blades, smiling manically. "This reminds me of that horrible day. You know. You remember. That _horrible_ day with Rager Rat, when sensei made me do that _bad thing_ to you. I never wanted to hurt you, Nya-san! I didn't even want you to know about it, but I can't apologize if you don't even know!"

Gritting her teeth, Noriko tried to focus on her attacks. The girl was dodging every attempt to hit her and it was becoming frustrating. Worse was the way she was talking. Noriko knew exactly what she was talking about and the thought of this girl having sent those waves of electricity up her old swords to knock her out made her absolutely furious. She was so distracted by these thoughts that she failed to notice that Grey had led her into a corner. Her shoulders were gripped hard, her body turned, and her back struck the side of a building.

Grey smirked down at her, nails digging into her shoulders through her clothes, and pressed her body tight against the catgirl's to prevent her from attacking again. Her nose skimmed along Noriko's collarbone, taking in the mixed scent of human blood from her earlier job and lavender soap. "You smell so _good_. Even better than last time~" Giggling quietly, the girl leaned in closer to the catgirl's neck. "I just want to _eat you up_." Her lips brushed the pale skin lightly before placing rough kisses there, trailing up and down the length of Noriko's neck while the violet-haired girl squirmed beneath her. "You want to go back with him _?_ Fine, fine. I can think of a _million_ better dates anyway. You'll see, little Nya-san. I'll _make_ you see. You'll see just how much I love you and you'll love me just as much." She nipped at her skin once before turning and running off down an alley.

When Noriko looked to Genos, she found him staring. "Wh-what? It's not like-!"

"Does it always look like that?" He glanced to the alley where Grey had vanished.


	97. Chapter 97

"Hey, where have you guys been?" Saitama greeted them as they entered the apartment. Looking up from his manga, he raised an eyebrow. The catgirl's clothes were ripped, bruises dotting her skin here and there, with a large scrape on her cheek. "Uh…you okay, Nya-chan? You left for the store like five hours ago. What happened?"

She frowned and wiped blood from her cheek. "Hn. Don't want to talk about it. I got stuff to make for dinner so…that's what I'll be doing." Noriko could tell by the look in his eyes that he was not about to drop the subject, but she was determined not to discuss what had occurred. _It's bad enough that I went with Sonic on that job. I don't even want to think about how it would go if I tried explaining that to them._ Settling her groceries on the kitchen counter, she felt her tail absently shift behind her. A sigh escaped the girl's lips before she began to prepare their dinner.

Genos watched her walk to the kitchen and then turned his gaze to Saitama. The hero was sitting at the table, manga in hands, so the cyborg decided to join him. When he sat with the convenience store bag at his side, he immediately took notice of how his mentor looked at it. "Master Saitama, is something wrong?"

"No. Just wondering what you have. What is that? Did you buy manga or something?"

"No, Noriko bought these for me," he answered, digging through the bag for a book.

The catgirl winced and moved away from the small window looking out onto the other room. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment as she heard Saitama asking about the books. _Damn it. I was pretty sure he wouldn't tell Saitama about those, but I should've known he can't keep a secret from him!_ Behind her, the water boiled in the kettle for instant ramen. The heat from the stove felt good and almost comforting after the afternoon that she had endured.

She had been so lost in thought that when she caught sight of Saitama from the corner of her eye, she jumped and bit her lip to smother a yelp. "Hn. Wh-what? You need something?" she muttered, shifting her eyes away from him.

"Well I wanted to ask why you bought Genos a bunch of girly manga, but now I'm wondering what happened to you when you left earlier. You were gone for five hours and you look kind of rough. Was it that guy from the prison?" He tilted his head, frowning slightly when she seemed to ignore him. "Nya-chan. Come on. You can tell me. Was it a rat monster?" A faint pinkish hue appeared on her cheeks, tail tip flicking in agitation. "Wait. Don't tell me."

Noriko shook her head and fixed her sharp green eyes on the pot of boiling water. He had been standing in the kitchen doorway, but now he was suddenly right beside her. Out of reflex, she moved to back away and felt her spine connect with the wall. "Ngh…don't startle me like that," the girl growled, trying to cover up her alarm.

Saitama smiled in his usual dopey sort of way. "You're pretty jumpy today. The fur on your tail is all puffed up." He stepped toward her, his smile still in place, until he was just inches away from the girl. "Whatever you did today has you on edge. So what was it? I mean, it couldn't be that bad, right?"

Her feline ears twitched, her fangs baring for a second in her anxiety. "I don't…hn. I don't want to talk about it, okay?"

"Okay." He turned, pretending to have lost interest for a moment, but soon faced her again with a more mischievous sort of smile. "So you ran into Sonic, didn't you?" The way that her face turned red answered his question for her. "Oh. That's cool. So what'd you do?"

"It doesn't matter." Noriko's shifted her gaze away from his, turning her head to the side. _When he's standing this close, it's hard for me to focus. I just want to eat dinner and go to sleep._ Flicking her eyes back to him for an instant, she winced and knew that he was not about to drop the subject. "I got a part time job…sort of. Okay? I went on an assassination job today," she said in just above a whisper. Instantly, his expression turned serious.

One arm planted itself against the wall above her head and he leaned in closer, his brown eyes narrowed. "How long have you had that job?"

Catching the shift in his expression, she felt her heart begin to race. "Hn. Not long," the girl lied. Her tail twitched behind her, tucking partially between her legs in her nervousness. "I should probably finish making dinner so…" She stood still, waiting for him to move out of her way, but he remained firmly in place. "Er…Saitama?"

"How long have you been going on jobs with Sonic?" His voice was quiet, but held an edge to it that made her shiver. The catgirl bowed her head, fidgeting with the ragged hem of her sleeve. Saitama lifted her chin, staring down into her bright green eyes. "How much time do you spend alone with him, Nya-chan? Don't you think it's a little unfair?"

"Wh-what are you talking about? And I'm not with him that often." Her heart raced when she met his gaze directly. _When he looks serious like this, it's hard to stay calm. That's the same look he gets when he fights a strong monster. Or when he helped me during my heat cycle. It's too intense to look right at him._ Her eyes moved toward the kitchen window as she vaguely wondered if Genos might wander in at any moment.

"Hey. Look at me." When she did, he smiled and leaned down to her feline ear. "We never get time alone anymore, do we?" The hero felt her seem to quiver against his chest, filling him with a certain sense of pride. The hand beneath her chin lifted her face more as he closed the distance between them. His lips captured hers in a warm kiss that made both of their hearts beat faster. Saitama smiled into the kiss as she wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him closer against her. He happily obliged and rolled his hips into hers, earning a muffled moan from the girl. It had been a while since they were alone together and the feeling of her soft body so firmly against him made him wish they were truly alone.

Noriko withheld the urge to bite his bottom lip when she felt his hands suddenly move behind her thighs to lift her legs around his waist. Her back was pinned to the wall, held up by the man as he continued the kiss. A hand cupped the right side of her bottom, the fingers warm even through her jeans, and she subconsciously began to purr. _This feels great, but what if Genos sees us? I don't think he'd be okay with this!_ She finally broke the kiss and leaned her forehead against his shoulder, trying not to think of how his groin pressed between her legs. "We…we need to stop, okay? If Genos-"

"What? You're worried about him seeing us? If he sees us, he'll just want to join us. You know how he is." He smiled down at the girl and rolled his hips forward against hers again. She threw her head back, fangs bared as her lips moved in a silent moan. The hero leaned down to her collarbone, mouth pressing gentle kisses there. When his teeth lightly scraped over a certain part of her neck, he felt her hips thrust forward against his. "Oh? That part must be sensitive, huh? I wonder if I can make you moan just from that."

"S-Saitama, don't! Hnnyah~" Her fingertips pressed into his back through his shirt, her hips pinned tightly to the wall as he ground between her legs. The combined pleasure of this and the feeling of his warm breath and lips on her neck made her nearly yowl. _If he keeps this up, something bad will happen! I just know it!_ Fingers ran through her long violet hair as she was set down on her feet, but he stayed close. Blinking in surprise, she met his stare and found him wearing his usual dopey smile. "Saitama?"

"Let's get some alone time tomorrow. You want to do some strength training in the morning?" he asked casually. He waited for her to shyly nod before pressing a final kiss to her lips and walking back to the other room. "Dinner's almost done, right?"

"R-right. Yeah, almost done." Noriko took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. _It's just Saitama! Damn it! I used to be able to just see him as a friend, but ever since my heat cycle…it's like I can only see him as a guy! He makes me nervous again, but in a good sort of way._ She added the hot water to three bowls of instant ramen and frowned to herself as she waited for it to cook. The feeling of his firm, muscled chest against her soft one made her feel oddly safe. The heat of his skin and the way he teased her made her feel reassured that everything would be alright. Shaking her head, she moved to carry their dinner out to the other room.

Genos was silently reading through one of the manga volumes that she had bought for him, but looked up when she set down the ramen. "Did you tell Master Saitama about Kyona?"

"Oh. Is _that_ what you were embarrassed about? That's cute, Nya-chan. Did she kiss you again?" Saitama appeared thoroughly amused now as he started eating.

"Hn. I don't want to talk about her." She slouched at the table, absently shifting her noodles around with her chopsticks.

"So does that have anything to do with why Genos has a bag full of shojo manga?" He saw Genos frown, his gold and black eyes moving to Noriko. "Wait. What exactly happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it." Noriko's ears twitched seconds before she was lifted and settled on the cyborg's lap, his arms trapping her in place. "Hn…what are you doing?"

"If I am always with you, Kyona has no chance of trying to seduce you again." He ignored the way his mentor laughed at the wording and tilted Noriko's head back so their eyes met. "When I first saw her kissing your neck, I thought that it was cute. After reading these girls' love manga, I realize that she could actually be a threat. I will not lose you to Kyona."

"Genos, I don't like girls," she stated bluntly. "There's no way that I'd leave you for her."

He seemed to consider this for a moment before his frown began to fade. "I understand. Kyona is not your type. Her hair is grey, after all."

"That's not-! Saitama, stop laughing! Can you just-? Urgh! Listen to me, Genos!" Noriko turned on his lap so she was facing him, straddling his lower half. Her hands gripped his shoulders, meeting his gaze firmly and trying to ignore the blush creeping onto her face. "I don't like girls! Okay?! I like _you_! Er…I _love_ you, okay?! So stop worrying!" She leaned up and pressed her lips against his before he could argue, her heart racing in her chest. When his arms wrapped around her, she relaxed into his hold and felt relief wash over her.

Saitama had finished his meal while they were arguing. It had been entertaining to watch Noriko argue with Genos, especially over something so ridiculous, but now he felt almost empty inside. It somehow hurt to hear her say those words to Genos. Those words that he himself had said to her, but had never heard back from her. "Hey, guys? I'm going out for a bit so just don't make a mess, okay? And don't do anything on my futon. Or use my pillow. Got it?"

Her face was red, but Noriko broke her kiss with Genos to nod in confirmation. She felt a pang of guilt at seeing him go, but at the same time she was a little glad. It felt like it had been a long time since she was alone with her boyfriend. _Not to mention that it feels like we should make up after that whole mess in City M_ , she thought as metal fingers slipped up her shirt. They felt cold against her warm chest and made her shiver.

 **Shift P.O.V**

The feeling seemed to gnaw at him more once he was outside. Though he felt a little guilty about feeling this way. _I'm jealous_ , he realized as he walked down the street. The sun had gone down and the air was growing colder. _Why am I just now starting to feel jealous? Those two have been dating for almost four months, right? And I've liked her for most of that time. Yeah, it's always bothered me when they do stuff like that. But never this much._ Saitama tilted his head back to look at the stars while he walked, hoping to distract himself. Moving down the street, he felt completely alone _. Sonic is gone. So I don't really have to worry about him starting something, but…_ The thought of the ninja made him frown. It reminded him that Noriko had been alone with the man for about five hours after she had left the apartment.

"Saitama, right? The mysterious lower class hero." The words were slightly slurred and low, coming from the down the street.

"Huh? Oh. Grey-chan?" Saitama looked at the figure in the grey hooded sweatshirt. The shirt sported a logo for Biogenic Mechanica Corporation. "Are you looking for Nya-chan?"

"Hah. No. _No fucking way_ am I dealing with her right now. _You_. I was looking for _you_. I need something from you. And don't fucking call me 'chan'." The figure drew back their hood to display a face just a bit more masculine than Kyona's with pale grey eyes and long grey hair. "It's Kyou. And I don't give a shit what you're about to say about my sister. I need something from you so I can just stop this bullshit."

"Uh, what? What do you need from me? You need Kenta's number for a ride home?" He took a few steps closer and caught the strong scent of alcohol. "Are you drunk?"

"It's the only way to keep me in check. The alcohol goes into my blood, keeps the ice at bay. I need something from you now so I can stop everything before it starts, got it? Come here and take this cup and-"

"Whoa. Hold a second there, Grey. What do you need this for?"

Kyou gave him a look of utter exasperation and frantically ran his fingers through his hair. "You! You don't even _know_ what kind of _insane bullshit_ he's trying to pull, okay?! You don't fucking _know_ …the fucking **_MONSTER_** …that she created, okay? I didn't want to do it! I don't want this! I _never_ wanted this shit to happen and I'm fucking _responsible_ now and what the _fuck_ else can I do?! You have to do this! A sample! DNA! Into this fucking cup! You think I'm some kind of _sick pervert_ that wants to touch a cup of some guy's ejaculation?! I _don't_! Just do this so I can put a stop to everything!"

"Wait. What are you talking about? You're creeping me out."

"Stupid…bullshit…okay. Okay, okay. I'll put this into real simple terms that even a mundane idiot like _you_ can understand. How's that sound? You like Samurai Catgirl, right? Of course you do. I _know_ you do." His shoulders were trembling now with either suppressed laughter or sobs. It was hard to tell, but it was a truly unsettling image. "You _love_ her, right? Just like _I_ did. Just like I _used_ to. Just like my sister does. Just like your cyborg and that assassin. Okay. Well you know what? _Your_ DNA mixed with _hers_ would be the most powerful, most pure, good, little thing that could tear apart that monster and that evil little witch."

His grey eyes grew wide, the trembling growing more intense. "Got it? You want to have a _kid_ with her? _I_ can make it happen. I can make it, I'll even fucking bring it to you. Because I've lost so much faith in _myself_ , in _everyone else_. But _you two_. Shit. I know you could help me. Or else I'd never be groveling like this for some guy to jerk off into a cup. So what do you say? Saitama? You want a kid with her? You want to save the fucking world?"

"You're really weird. And before I even start to think about what you're asking, how about you explain yourself a little better? I'm pretty sure the world won't end in the next five minutes if you want to explain what you were just talking about. Sounded pretty serious." Saitama glanced over his shoulder at the apartment building, slightly worried for Noriko now.


	98. Chapter 98

NeonHorizon: Smut warning. There. I said it. Two more chapters before the sequel. By the way, I'm going to title the sequel Resilience. So there's that. After chapter 100, just look for Resilience. I guess I might remind you at the beginning of chapter 100.

* * *

The apartment was quiet when she woke up. The television would usually be on, with Saitama watching the news, or she could usually hear movement in the kitchen or bathroom. Noriko opened her eyes and as consciousness came to her, her eyes widened in alarm down at the man lying beneath her. "Ah…sorry. Uh. Here, I'll move." She felt her face turning red as she tried to move off of Saitama, but his arm wrapped around her to pull her tighter against him. "Um. Heh. I should move before Genos sees, right?"

"Genos already left. The Hero Association called him earlier." He stared up at her, his expression deadpan. "What? You don't like being close to me?"

"It's not that. I just…it's just kind of weird. I can't really explain it." Her tail puffed up in alarm when she felt a hand press against her lower back. "Hn. What are you doing?"

"You feel nice," he stated bluntly. "It doesn't hurt when I do that, right?"

"Right. I mean, it doesn't hurt, but it's still…I'm not used to you doing stuff like this. So it still kind of surprises me," she muttered, shifting her gaze from his. A low purring started from her throat as she felt his fingers knead her skin in a sort of massage. When they moved lower down her spine to the area above her tail, her hips snapped forward against his and she yowled.

"Still doesn't hurt, right?" Though he phrased it as a question, he already knew the answer. "It's weird. I'm not restraining myself right now. I'm pretty sure a normal person wouldn't be able to handle it. Same with when you were in heat. After a while, I just stopped restraining myself to see if you could handle it. It's kind of like we're made for each other, huh?"

"S-Saitama~" Her fangs flashed as she threw back her head and moaned, her back arching in pleasure. He turned them so she was beneath him on the futon, blinking up at the man in surprise. "What are you-?"

"Calm down. I'm not going to do that unless you want me to." He smiled and caressed the side of her face gently, happy when she rubbed her cheek against his fingers. "I love you."

Turning her face away, she huffed in frustration. "Hn…I'm still not used to hearing that."

"What? Genos says it, doesn't he? What about Sonic?" Saitama sat back, watching her blush and squirm in embarrassment. "He does, right? So if they can say it, so can I." He leaned back down to the side of her neck and let his lips brush over her pale skin. "I love you, Noriko." When he pulled away, he saw a look of puzzlement on her face. Rather than acknowledge that he had just used her name instead of his nickname for her, he stood and rubbed the back of his head. "Hey, so we're still doing strength training this morning, right? I'm sure Genos will be back by the time we're done."

Without a word, Noriko went to her bag and dug around for some clothes to change into. Soon she found herself running down the street alongside Saitama, her long violet hair pulled back into a ponytail to keep it out of her eyes. _Genos left because the Hero Association called him, right? So do they not know about what happened in City M? And it's been a while since they declared me a monster. I haven't heard anything more about it. No one besides Puri Puri Prisoner seemed to even be aware of it._ She felt eyes on her and tentatively glanced over to find Saitama staring intensely. "Need something?"

"Kind of." Seeing her look of surprise, he frowned a little. "I mean, I've said it at least three times now, Nya-chan."

Her ears perked forward, tail twitching as she tried to determine what he was talking about. "Hn. Is it about Genos?"

"Not really. You seriously don't know what I'm talking about?"

She narrowed her eyes on the horizon, the chilled air momentarily distracting her from what was being asked. Her thoughts went to Genos, but more specifically to the night before. As color rushed to her cheeks, she shook her head. _I need to focus right now. I need to think. So if the Hero Association is still calling on Genos for help with monsters, then what if I contact them? Should I try it? What if they forgot about me, but calling them will remind them? I don't want to face Puri Puri Prisoner alone in a fight!_ Noriko tripped over a chunk of cement in the middle of the road and stumbled, but an arm caught her before she could fall.

Saitama stared down at her and slowly smiled. "Want to try it again?"

"What? Um…sorry. I was lost in thought."

His smile quickly fell. "Seriously, Nya-chan? Okay, look. I love you. Not as a friend. So…? Usually now you'd say something, right?" There was a short silence between the two as their eyes locked. Drawing her closer against him, he saw her tail flick back and forth behind her. "Nya-chan. How do you feel about me? Be honest. I mean, it's probably going to make me feel bad if you say you don't like me. I'm not going to lie and say I'll be okay. But tell me."

Noriko bit her lower lip and shifted her eyes from his. When he had caught her, it made her heart skip a beat. When he held her against him, it made her feel safe and warm. _I just wish he wasn't making that face,_ she thought as she glanced toward his deadpan expression. _No! If he looked serious, it would make it harder to concentrate! Damn it and he wants an answer!_ Curling her hands into fists, she took a deep breath to try to calm herself. "I…damn it." Her arms wrapped around his neck, her forehead resting against his shoulder to hide her blush.

The man's arms went around her waist now, settling comfortably against her lower back. A quiet chuckle escaped him as he felt her warm skin through his sweatshirt. "You know, you're really cute when you're embarrassed, Nya-chan. I want to know though. How do you feel?"

"I…feel _weird_. I feel _guilty_. I feel like I hate myself! Because…I love you. I _do_ love you, Saitama." Fingers trailed up her spine to run through her hair, a soothing gesture that helped her to relax before she continued to speak. "I love you, but…I love Genos, too. In the same way. And it isn't _right_. People are only supposed to love one person that way, right? So why do I feel like this? It just really makes me feel like there's something wrong with me! You shouldn't love someone like me!" To her puzzlement, he laughed again and held her tighter. "Why are you-?"

"Nya-chan, you're too cute." Kissing the top of her head, he smiled. "I mean, you know you're different from normal people. You're part cat. Cats don't fall in love with just one other cat usually, right?" Saitama pulled away enough to lift her chin and look down into her watery green eyes. Tears were sliding down her cheeks, but he was determined to cheer her up. "Don't feel bad about being the way you are. It's not like you do it on purpose."

Her feline ears flattened and she frowned. "How do you-?"

"Huh? Oh, about the cat thing? I ran into someone last night that knows a lot about you. Not Kyona. It was her brother. I guess he's some kind of genius when it comes to biological stuff because he said you'd be more catlike when it comes to romance. Like how animals mainly want to mate with strong animals, right? Like it's an instinct. But you love me, right?" He saw her cheeks turning a vibrant red as she nodded. "See? So don't worry about it."

"Hn. Even if I tried explaining that to Genos, I don't know if he'd get it. I can't believe _you_ were able to."

"You know how he is. Just don't worry about explaining it to him. So what do you want to do now? Do you want to finish our run or do you want to do something else?"

"S-something else? Like what?" Noriko's hips subconsciously ground against his, her heart beating almost painfully fast. _I said it. I can't believe I said it. I told him exactly how I feel. Since that day, when I was in my heat cycle and we…I couldn't look at him the same way. And now he has that serious look on his face._ A light purring left her when she felt his warm breath on her feline ear. "You're sure?"

"About what? About _this_?" He tilted her head back a little and pressed his lips to hers. Feeling her kiss back immediately made his heart skip a beat. Her lips felt soft against his, the kiss tasting of sweets. Saitama could feel her purring through their skin contact and it felt oddly pleasant. In a few quick movements, he had lifted her so her legs were around his waist and pushed her back against a wall within an alley. A fleeting thought crossed his mind that it may not be the best place for the activities he had in mind, but this was soon overshadowed by the realization that he did not care.

The bricks felt cold and rough through her shirt, but Noriko tried to focus instead on the warmth radiating from him. She broke the kiss and nuzzled her cheek against the side of his neck as she felt her exercise shorts being tugged down her legs. The catgirl's eyes were half-closed, but snapped open wide when she felt him push into her. "Ngh! Ah…c-careful!"

"Sorry, Nya-chan. It just feels so good. It's not like when you were in heat. It's like it's warm, but different somehow. Huh? Oh, wow. Nya-chan, your face is super red right now. Are you embarrassed? I don't think anyone's around so even if you make a lot of noise, no one's going to hear you." He shifted his hold on her so one hand was on her chest, massaging her breast and watching her face contort in pleasure.

She felt her muscles stretching to accommodate him. Even the very slight friction of him pushing in filled the girl with an unbelievable rush of heat and desire. Her nails sank into his back through his sweatshirt. Noriko's hips thrust forward quickly to force his length deeper into her core. "S-Saitama~"

A smile stretched his lips and he watched her throw her head back, fangs flashing as she moaned again. Saitama moved quickly to put a hand behind her, protecting her from smacking her skull against the brick wall. "I almost forgot how good this feels. You're so warm, it's like I don't want to take it back out. It feels great."

"Just…don't let loose. Please. I don't know if I could take it," she muttered, panting.

"Huh? Did you say to let loose?" He frowned a little and glanced to the building behind Noriko. "I don't know if the building could handle that, Nya-chan." Pushing particularly deep into her, the head of his member struck something that made her yowl. His smile instantly returned. "You like it deeper?" he teased, leaning down to the side of her neck.

She held onto him tightly as he settled on the cold ground with her straddling his waist. The catgirl tilted her head in puzzlement, but her unasked question went answered when his hands moved to her hips. "Hnyah! Wh-what if someone-?"

"No one's going to see us," he assured her, driving his hips up and into hers. The girl's eyes closed, throwing back her head to moan. Despite her shirt and the sports bra beneath, her chest bounced each time he pushed into her. He leaned up so it pressed against his chest and caught her lips in a kiss before moving to her neck once more. "We need to do this more. You feel so good."

"Hn. Don't say something so embarrassing." Her face was a light pink as she ground down on him, her grip shifting to this shoulders. She heard a light cracking and glanced beneath them to see that the surface of the alley ground and the wall behind Saitama were actually beginning to crack a little. _Wait. Is he…really not holding back?_ Her thoughts were clouded with pleasure as she felt him repeatedly strike that spot deep inside of her. Noriko's mouth pressed against the side of his neck as the pleasure built until she finally reached her climax.

He felt her muscles tighten around him and just as he started to join her, the catgirl's lips parted. Sharp fangs sank into his skin as his seed filled her and his hold on her waist tightened. A quiet groan left him as he thrust into her a final time. Leaning back against the cracked wall, he waited for her to withdraw her fangs. His fingertips ran along her spine through her shirt, making her purr. It felt odd against his neck, but at the same time it filled him with a sense of pride at being able to draw such a sound from her. "You okay, Nya-chan?"

"I'm sorry. I don't know why I do that." She leaned her head against his shoulder and frowned. _He said not to feel bad about being the way I am, but I can't help it. I know it's not normal. I know I'm not normal. I can never forget that._ Her body tensed, feline ears perked forward as she heard movement. Clinging tightly to Saitama, her heart began to race with fear.

Immediately understanding, he was quick to slide her shorts back onto her and fixed his own clothes to hide what had happened. He held her hand gently, his palm warm against hers, and led the way out of the alley. "Hey, so can I hear it again?"

"What?" Her tail flicked side to side, heat rising to her cheeks. "I-I love you," she muttered, looking away. When he ruffled her hair, she found herself purring in response to his touch. "I love you, Saitama."

"I love hearing that." His expression turned deadpan as his dark brown eyes settled on Genos. "Oh, hey. So where'd you go this morning?"

The blonde looked from his mentor to his girlfriend. Her blushing immediately alerted him to the fact that something had occurred between the two prior to his arrival. "The Hero Association needed me to handle a monster in City K. The representative that called me stated that the association has no knowledge of any of us engaging Kenta, but there were reports of Speed o' Sound Sonic attacking him. This being the case, it seems that Noriko's hero status will soon be reinstated. An onlooker mistook her presence there as her protecting him."

"Wow. That's really weird. Good for you though, right, Nya-chan?"

"Yeah. I guess. Until I go after him again." Her tail flicked in agitation as the two heroes looked at her. "I'm not giving up just because he has friends, okay? I'm going to kill him and stop him from making that army of catgirls!"

"Noriko, I think that it would be safer if you stay away from Kenta and both of the Greys for a while. Kyona is a danger to everyone. If her electricity is strong enough to force my body to shut down, it is undoubtedly strong enough to stop a human heart. Her brother could possess similar abilities."

"Huh? No, he has some kind of ice-related power." Seeing them both look at him, Saitama tilted his head. "I ran into Kyou last night while you were guys were making up. I already told you that, Nya-chan. Anyway, he was pretty drunk. He said that he has to always have alcohol in his blood to keep himself from being able to use his power. Something about the alcohol counteracting the ice. And he's not so bad. Creepy. But he's not like his sister or Kenta." His mouth turned down at the corners. "Actually, he seemed like he was really afraid of them. Anyway, I agree with Genos. Just stay away from Kenta for a while."

She bared her fangs in a subconscious show of anger. "If I want to kill him-!"

"You're going to kill him. I know. But at least be careful about it, if you're going to do it. Make it look like an accident or something. Then they can't call you a monster again."

"An _accident_? How do you make it look like his brain was accidentally destroyed?!"

"Noriko, please calm down." Genos saw the tip of her tail twitching and soon had her slung over his shoulder. "I will put you down when you are calm again. Now, Master Saitama, why did you both come out of that alley? Were you doing special strength training?"


	99. Chapter 99

"So how have you been? Are you okay out here?" Noriko did not look at her friend as she spoke. Instead, she focused her gaze on the cattle grazing in the field. Koneko was helping the old rancher make lunch for the group of four, leaving the older catgirl alone to talk with him.

The man looked a bit anxious, but otherwise seemed alright. He was wearing what she assumed to be the clothes of Koto's deceased husband as well as his glasses. It was strange when Noriko was used to seeing him in his hero outfit and he was knew it. "I've been okay," he answered as he looked at the cows. "I heard that we're not classified as villains anymore."

"So why are you still here? It can't be that great. They have a television, but no internet. Is it the cows?" she joked. Now she spared him a glance from the corner of her eye. His expression was one of contentment. "Hn? What is it?"

"It just feel nice to be away from the city for a while," Mumen Rider confessed. "It's so peaceful here. I like to help people, but this is like a vacation almost. It's refreshing."

She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "Yeah. I get that. It does seem nice."

"And Koneko seems to like having me here. We've gone to fight a few monsters near the forest, of course. She's getting better at dodging their attacks." A small frown appeared on his face as he shook his head. "She keeps trying to protect me. It doesn't feel right."

"It might be the only way she can think of to show affection." She stretched her arms over her head and yawned. T _his sunlight feels nice. Maybe I should stay the night and just head back to the apartment in the morning. After what Saitama said last week, things have felt tense. I'm pretty sure he hasn't told Genos though. Not in front of me anyway._

The man at her side turned toward the house now, leaning back against the fence. "Saitama and Genos are doing alright?"

"Hn. Yeah, they're fine. They act like I never even left. It's actually kind of weird." She turned to join him in watching the house. Through the windows, she could see Koneko chopping up some vegetables as Koto observed her. "Whenever I see Koto-san, I can't think of her the way I used to. I don't see an elderly rancher; I see the crime boss that tried to break me out of prison."

There was a brief moment of silence before his head snapped in her direction. "Wait. What did you say? She broke you out of prison?!"

" _Tried_ to. Sonic wouldn't let her take me without taking him and when we got near the exit, he carried me off." Her feline ears drew back, tail twitching at the thought of the ninja. She had not seen him since their last job together and something he had said was nagging at her mind. Like we're made for each other. _Isn't that what he said? What if he's right? I don't really believe in soul mates, but what if that's what we are? We always end up together somehow._

"Speaking of Sonic, has he stopped bothering you?" He saw her nod in an almost forlorn manner. "Er…do you miss him?" Now she shrugged. "Well if you need someone to talk to, I'm here for you, okay?"

Her ears twitched and Noriko turned in time to see a large white form moving rapidly through the herd of cattle. She pushed Mumen Rider behind her, unsheathing her swords in the same movement. The blades closed on the right arm of the newcomer as they tried to barrel over the fence to attack. Green eyes locked with crimson ones and the catgirl bore her fangs in a hiss. "Back off, you creep!"

"You think you can keep your pathetic little friend alive?! What? Is he another one of those heroes you sleep around with, _whore_?" Kenta swiped with his free hand, beaming when her blood splashed the grass below.

The cuts across her chest stung, the shirt torn and blood quickly wetting the fabric. Thinking quickly, she lifted a leg and kicked him in the face as hard as she could while releasing his arm from her swords. He stumbled back in the grass, but was not deterred. Drool ran from the corner of his mouth as he looked her up and down. Disgust twisted her stomach in knots. _Genos and Saitama aren't here. It's just me, Mumen Rider, and Koto against him. I can't let him get_ _near Koneko!_

Receiving a glance from the catgirl, Mumen Rider immediately understood what needed to be done. He turned away with reluctance and ran into the house to inform Koto. At the doorway, he paused and looked at the two catpeople over his shoulder. "If you hurt her, there will be consequences! No one can escape justice!"

"Huh! Huhuhuh! What was _that_?! What kind of lame, self-indulgent bullshit _was_ that?" Kenta demanded, lunging forward to swipe at Noriko again. "You got lucky last time because you had all of your little groupies with you, but where are they now?! You don't stand a chance against me on your own! Just like when you were a kid!"

"Shut up! I'm not weak and I'll show you how strong I've become! You're not getting anywhere near Koneko!" she snarled, dodging each swipe of his razor sharp claws.

"Oh yeah? Look at me real close, Project Nya! I got some upgrades from Kyona! When she came back to the lab, she was so excited to give me all of the upgrades I'd need to destroy your friends and take you down!" He watched her leap back onto one of the fence posts and snickered as drool dripped from the corner of his mouth. "You know, from the neck up, you're still kind of cute. If you hadn't-"

"I'm getting so sick of hearing you call me a 'cow'! You're _sick_! You've _always_ been sick! No, you know what? You're _worse_ than sick! You're a _disease_ on this world and I'm going to exterminate you!" Noriko jumped down with both swords poised to pierce his chest. He tried to dodge back, but she pushed herself and managed to stab through the chest plate of his body with both swords.

Dark oil spilled forth onto the grass and from his lips, painting them black. The front of his white bodysuit darkened. His red eyes narrowed into a fierce glare as he focused all of his hatred toward the girl. "You little bitch! Do you have any idea what kind of influence I have in the Hero Association?! This could be considered an attempt on my life! Grey-sama could have you thrown in prison for the rest of your life! Huhuhuh! Or what would be _left_ of it! Maybe I can get them to throw you back into that maximum security one! You wouldn't last a day in there without that assassin of yours!"

Her jaw clenched as anger coursed through her body. She began to tremble with a horrid blend of fury and a hint of madness. " _That_ excuse again? Really? Hn. But you know what? I'm sure death would be better than letting you continue to walk the earth, you _scum_!" Noriko brandished both swords and began to run at him, but faltered when she heard Koto's voice.

"Wait. If anyone's going to take down this cretin, it's going to be _me_." The old woman stepped in front of Noriko, guns in both hands, and smirked up at the cyborg. "Kenta, eh? You the boy that hurt this girl and my little Koneko?"

"You think I'm afraid of you, old woman?! Just you wait! I'll tear you in half with my claws and-!" A bullet whizzed past his cheek, tearing off the synthetic skin and one tattooed whisker along with it. Kenta stared down at the woman in alarm. "You actually shot at me?!"

"You think I'm some weak old bitch living in the forest like a hermit? You're looking at the boss of the Sakura Dragon crime family! If you think I'm letting you leave my property alive, you got another thing coming. I'm going to blow off your head and keep you from ever harming these girls again!" She darted forward, moving faster than Noriko ever thought possible, and shot at the cyborg catman.

Kenta rushed to avoid the bullets to the best of his ability, but was unable to dodge all of them. A few tore through his bodysuit to expose pale metal plating and wiring beneath, puncturing holes in his chest and limbs. He snarled and twisted to avoid one aimed at his head before leaping toward the house. Now between the old woman and her home, where Mumen Rider and Koneko were currently trying to escape, he smirked in triumph. "What, old woman? You don't like me getting close to your house? You think these girls are _yours_? _I_ made them. They're my property. And when I get that little brat, I'll teach her some manners. When I'm done with her, you'd never think she was such a rebellious little bitch!"

"You won't be harming a hair on that little girl's head, you creep!" Koto pointed one gun at his head and the other at his crotch as she started toward him. Determination was clear in her dark eyes as she approached. "Hey, girl! You focus on getting Koneko and your friend back to the city! I'll handle this piece of trash myself! Teach him a lesson for preying on young girls and thinking he's some sort of god!" the old woman called to Noriko over her shoulder.

"Right. Be careful!" Noriko was running toward the back of the house, but paused when she saw Koto rush at Kenta. _Will she really be alright?_ The old woman's throat was grabbed tightly the second she got near Kenta and she was hoisted into the air. As Noriko looked on in horror, a figure with a grey hooded sweatshirt appeared at Kenta's side and placed an arm on his shoulder. Electricity rushed through the catman's metal body and into Koto's. Her body thrashed in his grip and soon began to smoke. Noriko covered her mouth to smother a scream and quickly went to the back of the house. _How?! How did she get that close to Kenta without me seeing?_

"Will Koto-san be alright?" Mumen Rider asked as Noriko ushered them both toward the forest. He saw the tears forming in her bright green eyes and instantly knew the answer.

"Get her to the apartment, okay?! I have to stop Kenta before he can come after us!" Noriko briefly grabbed Koneko in a hug. "Go with Mumen Rider, okay? I need to…I need to go help Koto-san, alright? I'll see you soon! Promise you won't look back! Okay?! Promise me!"

"I promise! Be careful! I'll keep Mumen Rider safe!" Koneko assured her.

Noriko smiled sadly down at her. "I know you will. Get him to safety then." She started back toward the ranch, but paused to look at the two over her shoulder. "Koneko. I love you. I want you to remember that, okay? I love you and I'll always love you."

Tears were running down the child's cheeks as she met Noriko's gaze. "I love you too, mom." She turned away quickly and started to pull Mumen Rider through the forest.

Her heart nearly stopped when she heard Koneko use the word, but at the same time it filled her with a melancholic happiness. _Mom. I'm her mom. So, like a mom, I have to do everything I can to protect her. To protect the daughters of other moms. To protect everyone from what Kenta's planning. If I can at least stop him, it won't matter if I die. I'm sure that everyone will understand that I did what I had to._ Wiping away her own tears, she continued toward the ranch with the acceptance that her death may come.

The cattle had all moved to the farthest edge of the fenced area, staring at the house with wide and fearful eyes. Koto's body had been secured between two fence posts with strips of cloth, her torso torn open and her skin still smoldering from the electrocution. Her mouth was hanging open, saliva running from the corner. Noriko could not look at it directly, despair and guilt making her stomach ache. "I'm not letting anyone else die because of me. I won't let you keep hurting the people around me," she stated loudly.

Kenta stepped out of the house with Kyona at his side, wearing a wide grin. "Huhuhuh! You're giving yourself up then?" he taunted. Moving closer, he glanced to Kyona. She was standing in the doorway, watching Noriko. Her tongue swiped over her lips, body shivering in anticipation. "Wait. Don't tell me. You actually _want_ to be her plaything, is that it? You got so turned on by her kiss that you want her to-?"

"Shut the fuck up." Noriko glared up at him when he reached her, brandishing her swords. "Listen to me. I don't care about her. I'm not here for her. I'm here for _you_. I'm here to tear your brain out of that body and crush it under my boot so you can't hurt anyone anymore. I've been waiting for this moment for six years and _nothing_ will take away the satisfaction that I'll feel when I know that you're finally dead." She felt a chill run up her spine when his mechanical feline tail coiled around her leg, the tip rubbing against her inner thigh.

"Huh. You know, I never even got a taste, when you think about it. I always gave you toys to use. Not that that wasn't entertaining. I'm sure Kyona over there liked watching it on the video feed. Maybe I should try it for myself before I hand you over to her. Guh!" He looked down at the sword piercing his groin and then back to Noriko. Amusement overcame his pain when he saw the way she trembled, the way tears trailed down her pale cheeks. Reaching to her face, he ran his knuckles over her wet cheek. "I don't know if anyone could really want a hero whore like you though. Only someone as crazy as Kyona would want you after you've fucked every male hero there is. Huhuhuh!"

She yanked her sword free and leapt back to avoid his claws raking over her cheek. "I'll cut off your head and crush it! You're not going to see another day!" she hissed.

"You're too _weak_ to kill me and I'm sure you wouldn't want to face the repercussions of killing of me, Project Nya. If I die by your hand, Kyona will make sure that not only _you_ , but that _little brat_ of yours suffers. If you thought that _you_ had it bad in that prison, just imagine what would happen to your daughter. Have her claws and fangs ripped out before they throw her in there with those men and see what happens! Still think you want to kill me, you little bitch?"

She fell to her knees, heart racing and tears falling once more. "K-Koneko…"

A hand smaller than Kenta's rubbed the top of her head. "I don't think she'd last more than an hour in a place like that. So? Come on, Nya-san. Let's get back so we can start playing~" Kyona hissed in her feline ear.

A loud boom alerted Noriko to two things. The first was that Saitama was suddenly standing beside her, looking at Kyona with a serious expression. The second was that Genos was also there and Kenta was thrashing in the grass with a massive hole in his chest, screaming for Kyona. The electrokinetic girl glared at Saitama briefly before running over to aid her mentor. Saitama offered a hand to Noriko, but she simply stared at it. "Okay, you're in shock, right? Let's just get home and talk about this," he suggested.

"Where is the old woman-?" Genos had started to look around, but his eyes quickly found the smoldering and tattered remains of the old rancher. "Noriko, I apologize for not coming with you. If I had been here, I could have helped you."

"I didn't see Kyona. I didn't even see her. She just appeared and she put her electricity into Kenta and he…" A choked sob escaped the girl. "I couldn't stop him. It happened too fast. And she was just trying to protect Koneko. I failed her! I should have sensed Kyona, but I didn't and now Koto-san is…"

The blonde took her in his arms, his hold warm and comforting. "Noriko. You protected Koneko. You helped her to escape. It was what the old woman would have wanted. I will help you defeat Kenta when you are better, but for now we should leave."


	100. Chapter 100

NeonHorizon: So here we are. Chapter 100. Approximately 402 pages of Word document content. Again, I never thought it would go this far. Or that it would go even farther. On 3/10/2017 I plan to release the first chapter of the sequel. Of course, this will come with an intro at the beginning to explain the backstory in case you've forgotten anything or if newcomers want to go straight to the sequel (for whatever reason). So on 3/10/2017, you will want to look for **Resilience**. Not to worry; I'll title it so you know it's the sequel. **Resilience: Sequel to Persistence**. So catchy, right? I guess if you want to try your hand at typing up an intro for me, I could use it and give you credit. If no one submits an intro by 3/09/2017, I'll make my own. Thank you for reading, thank you for your reviews, and I look forward to seeing you soon in **Resilience: Sequel to Persistence**!

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Sitting in front of the balcony opening, Noriko released a sigh. A blanket was wrapped around her shoulders and she had her back to everyone else. The wounds across her chest had not been treated yet and the blood was sticking her shirt to her skin. _I just…can't. I don't deserve to have my wounds treated. I was a coward and I failed everyone._

"Hey, Nya-chan. Genos got the med kit from the bathroom. Want me to take care of those cuts? They look pretty bad," Saitama spoke up, standing beside her.

"Hn. No. I'm fine." Trembling a little, she looked over her shoulder toward the kitchen entrance. She saw Koneko there, looking unsure of herself as she helped Genos cook. "How's she doing? She doesn't know, right?"

"No and I'm not about to tell her what happened to the old lady. Are you okay? Mumen Rider said you were pretty close when it happened." He sat next to her, setting the medical kit in front of her in case she wanted to bandage her own wounds.

She stared at it for a moment before shaking her head. "I should've known that Kyona was there. I didn't see her, but I should've known he would bring backup. I just…didn't think that Koto-san could lose. She was tough. Like, _really_ tough. She helped me so much by taking care of Koneko and when she tried to help me out of prison. And I just stood there…like an idiot. Like a coward. I just stood there and stared while he…"

"Hey, don't think like that. Like you said, you couldn't have known that he had that girl with him. I'm sure the old lady wouldn't want you to feel like this, either." He saw tears running down her cheeks and wrapped an arm around her to pull her against his side. "It's going to be okay. I know this is going to sound bad, but since Kenta killed an innocent person, the Hero Association will have to notice he's evil. Or at least look into his background."

Her wounds were aching as the fight played through her head again and again. The memory of his tail sliding over her thigh made her sick to her stomach. _Again. I just stood there, frozen in fear. Like a coward._ Leaning against her friend's side, she released a quiet sob. "I can't do this. I can't do this anymore, Saitama."

"Huh? Yeah, you can. You still need to get your revenge on Kenta, right?"

"I can't. Every time I try, he has something that just gets me in trouble with the Hero Association. If I keep this up, I'll die. And I know this sounds stupid. Before I went back to fight him and get revenge for Koto-san…I told myself that it would be okay if I died. As long as I killed him, it would be okay for me to die because I would have helped people. If he kills me without me stopping him, I'll have failed worse than ever before. And I can't live with that."

He frowned and turned toward her, grabbing both of her shoulders to make her look at him. His eyes were narrowed, mouth twisted into a frown. "So you're just going to _give up_? That isn't like you, Nya-chan."

"I can't do this anymore! I can't keep failing!"

"So you think that just giving up means you won't fail? Giving up on your dream just makes your failure worse because you're not even trying anymore! I don't like seeing you this way, Nya-chan!" By this point, the others were now staring at the two.

Genos approached first, a puzzled frown on his face. "Noriko, what have you decided?"

She looked to each of the others, tears increasing. "I can't be a hero anymore. I'm just…I'm done. I can't keep doing this. I'm sorry." The girl stood and let the blanket drop. Without another word to either of her roommates, she moved to her bag and swords. Slinging them onto her back, she turned to meet Koneko's gaze. "I won't make you come with me, but you're welcome to if you want," she stated, feeling wetness trail down her cheeks.

Koneko's pale green eyes narrowed and she shook her head, despite the tears forming in her own eyes now. "I'm a hero now! I'm a hero to _protect_ people! I won't quit over a dumb jerk like Catman Scavenger!"

Her chest felt tight at the words and forcing herself to maintain her composure, she turned toward Saitama and Genos. "Can you keep her safe?"

"Where are you going anyway?" Saitama asked, not completely taking her decision seriously. His hands were in the pockets of his hooded sweatshirt as he met her gaze.

"Hn. It doesn't matter. Just take care of her. Oh. Here." She unclasped the white bell choker from around her neck and set it in his hand. "Okay. I'm going then." Noriko saw Genos take a step forward and took that as her cue to leave. Before he could cross the apartment, she was out the door and sprinting down the stairs. She did not stop until she had reached the drain pipe that she had once removed a cat from. Despite the memory of how cold and damp it was inside, she quickly made her way into the pipe and crawled to the large space at the end.

The catgirl shivered in the cold, wet enclosure and stared warily at the opening. _Even if he shines his light down this pipe, it's too long for it to reach me._ The street outside was silent, but she knew that he had followed her. In her pocket, she could feel her phone frantically buzzing with calls and text messages. She wrapped her arms around herself, resting her chin on her knees. _Just leave me alone. I'm where I belong right now. I let that old woman die. She was trying to protect us and I let her die. I don't deserve warmth. I don't deserve anything._

Time passed very slowly as she watched the end of the pipe, expecting his face to appear at the opening at any moment. In the time she spent in the pipe, she assured herself of a few things. The first was that Koneko would be safe with Saitama and Genos. There was no chance of Kenta getting near her if she was being protected by the two heroes. She also knew that her friends would be much safer with her gone. Kenta seemed intent on destroying her life and Kyona was intent on capturing her. Without her around, they would most likely turn their attention away from her friends. Sleep started to settle into her body and very soon she felt herself dozing off in the cold dampness of her shelter.

What woke her was the sound of someone scrambling at the end of the pipe. Her green eyes snapped open and she stared at the figure trying to crawl inside. She tilted her head and moved toward them, curious as to why the convenience store clerk was trying to get to her. "..hello…?" she quiet called.

He froze and in the dim light it was evident that he was startled. "Uh…is that Samurai Catgirl?" he asked, his voice echoing a bit in the pipe.

"Er…yeah. What are you doing?"

"What are _you_ doing? I heard something meowing in here and thought a kitten was trapped or something. Are you okay?"

She shook her head. _Am I okay? I don't think I'll ever be okay again._ The girl crawled closer to him. "I was sleep-talking, I guess. Is there anyone else around you? Any heroes?"

"What, like your boyfriend or that bald guy you sometimes come in with? No, they're not here. Are you a fugitive again?" He was surprised when her pale face suddenly came into view, a few inches from his own. "Oh! Uh…have you been crying?"

"I'm fine." Noriko pulled herself out of the pipe and shook the cold water from her tail and ears. "Hn. What time is it?" she asked as she looked at the dark sky above.

"It's kind of late. Why were you in there? And are you bleeding?"

She drew her phone from her pocket and saw that she had missed over twenty calls and forty text messages. _Damn it. I can't go back now._ She absently scrolled to a certain phone number, tilting her head curiously. "…I quit being a hero for good today…" she muttered. "I let someone down and…I can't keep doing that. So if there's no one to let down, I can't let anyone down, right?"

His brow furrowed. "I guess, but doesn't that seem kind of _cowardly_?"

"I never said I wasn't a coward." Her tail twitched a little in the cold air and the fur began to puff up. She felt a blush rise to her cheeks when he looked at it. "Can I stay in the store for a while to warm up?"

"Huh? Sure. I was actually going to ask if you wanted a job since you quit being a hero." He walked alongside her, frowning at the wounds on her chest and the tear trails on her face. It was obvious that something horrible had happened, but he was not about to press her for details.

When they reached the store, she idled near the manga and let the warm air from the vents blow directly on her. _I can't go back to the pipe. I can't go back to the apartment. I can't stay here for too long because Genos knows that I come here when I don't have anywhere else to go._ Again, she looked at that familiar number in her phone.

"You ever thought about just trying to live normal? I mean, a girl your age would usually be starting college or something, right?" the clerk asked. "If you did, you wouldn't be in danger all the time. You could have a pretty normal life from here on out, even with your ears and tail. You could get an apartment, date a normal guy, have a normal job. A lot of people do that. I mean-" The young man went silent, staring past Noriko at something.

The catgirl felt an arm cross her chest from behind, tugging her back against a warm body. "What are you really trying to say? That she should date _you_ and be boring?" the man behind her taunted. Sonic looked down at the phone in her hands and smirked. "Were you about to call me? You missed me that much? It's only been a few days." He nipped at her feline ear, making her blush red. "Why were you walking alone at night with a loser like him?"

"She quite being a hero and wants to work here," the clerk said, frowning.

"Seriously? You want to work in a place like _this_? What did that mechanical nuisance say when you told him that?" Sonic felt her start to shake and immediately understood. "You broke up with him again, didn't you? Let me guess; you left without making any plans and you need a place to stay."

"Hn. Don't make it sound like I did this without thinking. I've…had a really bad day. I'm not ready to talk about it yet. But, yeah, I need somewhere to stay." Noriko half-closed her eyes, delighting in the warmth radiating from him.

"You still owe me. Why should I help you?" he teased. "I know how you can pay me for helping you in City M. You're mine now. If you're going to stay with me, that means being mine. You still want this?"

"Y-yeah. I do." She felt her phone buzzing in her hand again and looked down at the screen. Her phone was quickly taken by Sonic, who answered the call.

"Take a hint. She doesn't want you anymore. Where are we? Wouldn't you like to know?" He began to grin evilly and pulled the girl tighter against his chest. "Even if you _do_ come here, I doubt she'll want to talk to you."

The clerk behind the counter was looking both irritated and a little worried now. There were no other customers in the store, but if it was damaged then he was still sure to catch hell from his boss. "Look, if you're going to fight Genos, take it outside! I can't have you destroying store property!"

Sonic cast a wicked glare in his direction before resuming his phone conversation. "You want to hear it from her yourself? Fine."

Noriko was nervous to go outside and it was only made worse when she spotted Genos standing a short distance down the street from the convenience store. Her heart raced when she saw his expression, seeing a fury that immediately sparked fear within her. Fighting her fear, she forced her green eyes to meet his gold and black ones. "Genos. I'm sorry. But I just can't do it anymore. You don't understand. You almost always succeed and even if you don't, things somehow turn out okay. I just can't handle failing anymore. Not when it means people dying. I want either you or Saitama to kill Kenta. Please."

His hands curled into fists, the spaces between his metal plates glowing orange in the dark, cold evening. "I will not do that. Master Saitama said that it is something that you must do yourself. It is important for you to do it yourself." Without hesitation, he lifted his hand and offered it to her. "Come back. We will help you. We will make sure that you do not feel the way that you felt today again. I cannot return without you, Noriko."

She bit her lip, his words making her chest feel tight. _I still love him. I do. I love him and I love Saitama, but I can't do this. I can't. They won't let me be. They won't let me live a normal life and…I think that's what I really want right now. Normality._ She took a deep breath to try to calm herself. "Genos, I can't go with you. I can't live there anymore. I'm sorry."

The blonde's hand began to lower, his frown deepening. "Where will you live? I will not stop seeing you just because you have moved. I will come to see you every day."

"I can't…hn. I can't see you anymore. Not that way. Genos…this is the end of that. This is the end of me being a hero, the end of me living with you and Saitama. This is the end of us. I can't date you anymore. I'm…dating _Sonic_ now." As she said this, she felt the ninja draw close against her back and wrap his arms around her. Sorrow pierced her heart like a spike, but she knew it was for the best.

"Why him?" Genos' expression darkened, his voice full of rage. "Why him, Noriko? If it was Master Saitama, I could understand. I would be able to accept your decision if it was Master Saitama. But why would you choose someone like _him_?"

"He never stopped me from doing what I had to! He never went behind my back and tried to control an important part of my life! You wanted me to stop being a hero so I'd never get hurt, right?! Well I quit, finally! Too bad you can't enjoy the benefits of it!" She was trembling with anger now, barely soothed by the warm touch of the man behind her.

"I see. So that is how you really feel. If you had just told me that you felt this way, I am sure that we could compromise. We still can. Come back with me, Noriko. We will talk this through and make it work. Master Saitama will be pleased that you have returned. He was worried about you."

Sonic grinned at him over the girl's shoulder. "You really don't get it? She doesn't want you anymore; she wants _me_. Noriko belongs to me now. Isn't that right, my cute little kitten?" His lips brushed the side of her neck, feeling the cyborg's glare burning on him. "She dumped you. Again. So just get over it and leave us alone. I win. I can't wait to get her home and-"

Noriko saw the anger grow in the blonde's expression and her heart raced with panic. "Genos, please! Just go back to the apartment. I'm sorry. This is what I need. So please just let me live my life. I just want to live a normal life and Sonic will let me have that."

Genos shifted his glare from Sonic to Noriko when she began to speak and now he scowled at her. "Do you think that this decision is yours alone? Did you think that making this decision would not hurt me? Or did you even consider that?" The spaces between the metal plates started to glow more intensely and it was obvious that his anger was spiking higher. "I do not accept this decision. I will not let you leave me for Speed o' Sound Sonic." A hand raised, his palm directed at the two. "Incinerate!"


End file.
